Love Is A Battlefield
by RaptorX5
Summary: Max falls deathly ill forgetting everything she's ever known using Lydecker’s method to avoid leaking information under interrogation and torture. Logan reveals himself as ‘Eyes Only’ to help save Max. M/L, M/Z I don't know yet and that's really up
1. 332960073452. . .

****

Original Cindy parked her bike out side of Jam-pony Express' headquarters and headed inside, she and Max were supposed to meet to have lunch. She quickened her pace when she opened the front door and found a huddle of people gathered around someone on the floor, to see a fight at work would really be a change. She walked up behind Sketchy and looked over his shoulder.

"Hey, what's going on?"

Sketchy turned around to face her. "I didn't do anything wrong."

"What are you talking about?"

"Max, I didn't do anything to her. We were just talking and-"

Original Cindy didn't hear the rest of Sketchy's explanation because it was then that she saw Max. Max, huddled on her side in a fetal position, shaking uncontrollably and babbling a long string of numbers. Original Cindy shoved Sketchy out of her way and knelt down beside Max.

"Herbal, get me her bag. I gotta get her pills." Original Cindy ordered.

"Pills?" Normal had picked up on the word. "She came in here sick?"

"No, she's got some condition." Original Cindy fired back at him. "Herbal?"

Herbal went into Max's open locker and came back with the bag tossing it to Original Cindy.

"If she has a condition she should have told me when I hired her." Normal mumbled regretting the package he had just marked as hazardous due to Max's reaction after touching it. "It could effect her productivity."

"It never has before." Original Cindy shot back. "She didn't want anyone to know about it. Cut a girl a little slack."

She shook a handful of typtophan pills out and got Max to swallow them. After a few minuets when the pills had no effect Original Cindy started to panic, Max never got sick. Maybe it had something to do with her messed up genetics. She cradled Max's head on her lap and reached for her boo's pager. Maybe wheel boy would have an answer. She stood up making Herbal take her place as the crowd around Max started to break up and headed over to the payphone. She took a shot in the dark and dialed the only number that was in the memory, hoping it'd be the right number.

Wheel boy himself answered on the first ring. "Max?"

"Nah, Logan," She'd almost called him wheel boy to his face! "It's Original Cindy."

"Where's Max?" Logan was all business his voice taking on a tone of worry.

"That's what I called about, we've got a problem."

"Lydecker?"

"I'm not sure. . ."Original Cindy shook her head and then filled Logan in on the scene she had just walked in on. 

"Shit." You could hear the confusion and concern in Logan's voice. "Bling and I will be there in a few minuets."

Logan spun away from the computer screen, hanging up the phone. "Bling?"

His physical trainer and close friend stuck his head out of the kitchen. "What is it Logan?"

"Max is sick. We've got to go pick her up at work." Bling could see the concern creasing Logan's brow.

"Just don't treat the Aztec like a hot rod and I'll help you, no problem." Bling smirked. He knew Logan drove recklessly when he was worried. Heck Logan drove recklessly most of the time, having put the weight of the world on his own shoulders.

"You can drive if it makes you happy; I just want to get down there." Logan headed for the door, and hit the button for the elevator before Bling had a moment to consider it.

"It is your car." Bling shrugged and closed the door to the penthouse locking it. If it hadn't been so obvious to Bling before that Logan had a thing for Max, it was plain as black and white now.

The Aztec screeched to a halt parked crooked in front of Jam-pony express. Logan and Bling had gotten there in record time. The moment Logan was through the door Normal started in on them, but was simply ignored. He went right to Original Cindy's side, his concern growing deeper to sadness she could see on his face. 

"What happened?"

"It's like I told you, I came in from my last run before lunch and my home girl was laid out on the floor like this. Her pills didn't even do anything for her."

"How long?"

"Ten, fifteen minuets?" Original Cindy shrugged. "That was since I got here, Sketchy said it started right before I came in."

"I'm taking her back to my place." Logan was at a loss for the moment of anything else to do or say. Mr. Eyes only was helpless.

"I'm going with you." Original Cindy stood up after Bling took Max from her. "Normal Max and I need the rest of the day off."

For once Mr. know it all simply nodded, devoid of wise cracks, his eyes still on Max. "Take whatever you need."

Once they got Max back to the penthouse Logan had Bling sedate her, winching as he watched the needle pierce Max's skin. She settled down right after that. Logan poured through the data he had on Manticore along with some new things and came up frustrated and empty handed. He then resorted to calling Sebastian who came to the conclusion that it could have been a side effect from the probe, but couldn't offer him much other help except maybe the other could help her. Logan swore he knew Sabs was right, as much as he hated to admit it, he needed Zack's help on this one. Zack was his best bet, if anyone might know what was wrong with Max chances were it would be him. 

Original Cindy was passing the room, every once in a while confronting Logan. "You find anything yet?"

Logan shook his head and looked over to Bling who was watching the clock a look of amazement on his face over how much of the sedative it had taken to knock Max out. Bling held up the serum bottle as proof. "We're almost out Logan."

Logan swore, and took off his glasses to rub the bridge of his nose, thinking. Zack, Big Brother, the protector, the alpha male, always elusive, he had no way of getting in contact with him. The voice mail number Max had found was disconnected and left him, even with his skills, no way of tracing it to it's new number.

Logan looked up at Bling. "Give her what's left in there, we should be fine that way." He went into the draw of his desk and pulled out a stack of bills. "Take this and Original Cindy with you and go get more."

Bling took the money and then gave Max the rest of the sedative; still shocked she could handle it. Then he said something to Original Cindy who went to get the elevator. "Logan I should be back before it wears off. . . Why am I stuck babysitting?" He jerked his head to the door indicating Original Cindy.

Logan almost smiled, almost. "Well, Eyes Only can't find the help he needs with-"

Bling interrupted, nodding and smiling. "I get it. We'll be back quick, but not too quick."

"Thanks Bling." Logan smiled as he left and he'd meant it. Without Bling he'd have been in a mess of trouble more times then he cared to count. Logan moved back to his computer and set to work piecing together a message that only the X-5's would be able to pick up. He set it up on a high band frequency loop, where the message repeated every ten minuets. The message itself lasted only ten seconds with it's normal introduction included, then the images flew by accompanied by a sound that the normal human ear could not make sense of. Logan figured if they could all repeat a string of fourteen numbers on speed dial, they'd be able to pick up his message just fine. 

Logan played back the hack before he sent it out, once at normal speed, then at the accelerated speed. It played back like this: Do not attempt to adjust your set. This is a streaming freedom video bulletin. The cable hack will last exactly 60 seconds. It cannot be traced, it cannot be stopped and it is the only free voice left in the city. That part was normal speed, and came across fine, then it was speed daemon time. The speed up message said: This hack goes out to the person whose name rhymes with that word. He is the one, the protector, and the leader. The solution to this problem is X5, but needs only the one. It starts where one plus one equals three. Three times three times two times nine divided by six plus zero divided by zero plus seven times three divided by four plus five times two, where X equals five. This person needs your help very badly. Get in contact with her when you see this. Any of you that can understand this can contact him if the one has not seen this. This mess age will repeat every ten minuets until contact has been established. Then there was the normal closing: This has been a streaming freedom bulletin, at normal speed. 

Satisfied with the message he was going to send, he hacked into a satellite feed that would boost the message to cover all of the US, Canada and Mexico. This time Logan couldn't afford to take any chances, Max was developing a fever; her life was on the line. He knew the message sounded corny, but that way if Manticore did get a hold of the hack and managed to slow it down to normal speed, Logan figured they still would have a little time before Lydecker sent a squad to bang down his door. The strongest assurance being that no one knew as of yet who eyes only was. After Logan had sent out the message the first time Bling and Original Cindy returned just in time to put Max under again. 

There was a commotion in the break room of the freight terminal where Zack worked. Zack stopped loading the skid he was working on out on the docking bay and was about to go in to see what it was about. One of the girls working there came up to Zack as he jumped out of the forklift he was driving. 

"Hey Zack you have to come and see this. That Eyes Only guy's gone whack!" She grabbed him by the arm and led him into the break room. "And it just keeps happening."

Zack looked up at the television screen. What everyone else saw was the Eyes Only intro and then some static and then it was over. What Zack saw made him think for a split second, before his mouth dropped open. This girl Lyn, was the only person in the terminal that he made regular small talk with, but basically it was just because she wouldn't leave him alone. She'd pulled him into the room to make him see the truth without even knowing it, because as Zack watched she pulled everyone else on shift into the break room with him. Zack guessed she must have just been a big fan of Eyes Only. Zack swore and went over to the payphone in the break room. He dialed in Max's pager number then called in to his voice mail system to leave a message for all the others that he had seen the message and had things under control. All of Max and Zack's siblings had already called in. 

The phone in the break room rang and Zack snatched it up before Lyn had a change to get to it. The cable hacks seemed to have stopped for the day and everyone slowly filtered back to work. 

"Max?"

"No Zack, its Logan."

"Where's Max? What happened to her?" Zack asked curtly.

"Well Zack it's hard to say. . . Max is convulsing and all she seems to be able to say are her barcode numbers, no matter what you ask her."

"Shit!" Zack hit the wall next to the phone leaving a neat little hole. "I can be there in two hours."

Zack pulled his motorcycle up and into the lobby of Logan's building then told security that he was going up to the penthouse. When Logan answered the phone and security said a Zack Hanover was there to see him, he was surprised and had to suppress a laugh. Logan knew Zack used the alias **Michael Hanover before that wasn't the funny part, it was that this was the first time the Textbook X-5 had bothered to use the front door. **

Two hours and ten minuets after Logan had gotten off of the phone with him Zack walked through the front door, which had moments before been locked. Logan shook his head and wondered why he even bothered to lock it with them around.

"The others all checked in with me," Zack said suddenly standing behind Logan who jumped and swore he could hear Zack snicker, he should have been more guarded.

"That's good." Logan nodded his head and spun around to face Zack.

"Where's Max?" 

"In the bedroom." The moment the words were out of Logan's mouth Zack was off like a shot and at Max's side.

He ran a hand lightly over Max's cheek. "Maxie, what happened to you little sister?" 

It looked like a gesture of love, but Zack was checking her vital signs, at least that's what he would have told anyone who asked. Zack took a moment to survey the room, an African American woman was passing relentlessly and a man kept looking from the clock to Max. Zack heard Logan pull up besides him and turned on him. 

"What the hell happened to her? What did _you_ do to her?" Zack yelled.

"Nothing but sedate her," Logan was hurt by the accusation but refused to let it show. "She should come out of it soon and then you'll see the problem for yourself."

Bling simply nodded to Logan confirming his statement.

Zack sat down in a chair next to the bed Max was in and watched her for a while. He sat with perfect posture; his face clad in the expressionless Manticore mask, and held her hand stiffly.

Original Cindy turned to Logan and motioned him away from Zack for the moment. "What's he doing here?"

"He's Max's adopted brother." Logan whispered despite the fact that he knew Zack could hear any little whisper he'd utter if he chose to listen.

"Logan do you think it's some side effect of the whole genetic manipulation?"

Logan winched; he didn't want Zack to see the girl as a threat. "It could be, but keep it quiet. Zack doesn't know about it, neither does Bling. Max though telling her adopted family would drive them away from her."

"Oh." Original Cindy nodded and went back to passing the room.

"She should have come out of it by now." Bling said looking at his watch and fearing that he'd given her too much of the sedative.

Zack stood up and quenched the urge he had to simply shake some sense into Max. He leaned over her and snapped his fingers in front of her face, the way Lydecker used to when he was trying to bring the out of anesthetic after one of the operations at Manticore. Max's eyes flew open and she grabbed hold of Zack's wrists raking her claw like nails along his skin as the seizures started again. Zack hissed and asked her softly without a trace of his usual harshness, "Maxie, talk to me."

"Three, three, two, nine, six, zero, zero, seven, three, four, five, two." Max's body shook, her words taking on emotions and connotations of true speech, but her designation seemed to be the only thing that she could get to come out of her mouth. 

"Max," Zack said softly but forcefully, "come back to me." This time he shook her, hard. 

"Three, three, two, nine, six?" Max answered her head lulling and jerking with the movements of Zack's hands on her shoulders. 

"Shit!" Zack pried his hands free from Max's grip and tore away from him for a moment. "This is ridiculous!" He punched a whole into the nearest wall. Then her turned back interrupting her, yelling at the top of his lungs his face turning red. "I am Three, three, zero, four, one, seven, two, nine, one, five, nine, nine and you will remember me! That's an order solider."

"Zero, zero, seven, three, four, five, two. . . Three, threetwonine." The numbers flew out of her faster now.

"Maxie, it's okay." Zack tried but given the situation did not sound all that soothing. There was no change in Max and that worried Zack terribly. He'd seen her forget everything but her designation before; he'd seen her seize, but never together and never with a fever, unless it was Manticore experimenting. Right now he knew it wasn't, they had no way of 'infecting' Max with anything, and it didn't make sense.

"Dam it, I need to think." Zack turned to Bling, sheen of unshed tears momentarily clouding up his eyes. "Put her back under." Zack Sighed and ran his hands through his hair, lost in an intense moment of weakness. His head snapped up and he looked at Original Cindy. "You can leave now." Both his comments sounded like clipped orders.

Original Cindy stopped passing and turned to stare open mouth at Zack. "What?!"

Zack grimaced and at length produced feeble thanks. "Thank you for being there and bringing Max in. Did you see what triggered it?"

"No, Original Cindy had come in from a run to see her Boo out on the floor all twitchy." Original Cindy said truthfully then made a peace offering. "But I will find out what happened to my home girl and call Logan when I do."

Both men nodded and she walked out of the penthouse, on her way back to Jam-Pony Express to see what she could find out. 

"Any ideas?" Logan turned to Zack.

"She's burning up and she shouldn't be seizing, as for her condition I don't know what triggered it, but I do know what it is. She fell back on her Manticore training to forget. Under extreme questioning or torture a person can force themselves to forget everything they know, so that they don't tell the enemy anything. I did it once or twice." He looked down at Logan; "something should be able to trigger her memory back. There are some things that even intense training can not make you forget. Max could never be brought to forget her barcode number, it was some kind of mental block she got from hating it so much, but she could forget it's meaning."

"Like what she's doing now, substituting it for everything?"

Zack nodded.

"I remember when you did that," Logan said with a nod, "When you gave yourself up to Lydecker to protect Max, just before you fled to Canada."

"Yes." Zack nodded, it was something like that. Zack had been saved by Max that night, and the power of love. He could never forget Max and there was a very good reason. Sure Max was his little sister, true she was his S. I. C., but it was more then that and only he knew it. Max was the first person Zack had ever kissed. Sure it was done under Lydecker's supervision, Max was under sedation, and it was done for scientific observation. They wanted to know if the X-5's were capable of feeling emotions and what exactly it did to them physically. Knowing that his love could not save her, and that it obviously was not reciprocated hurt. Seeing her like this hurt more, knowing he couldn't do anything about it was agonizing. Zack bolted up to his feet, knocking over the chair he had been in, in full panic mode.

"Logan, Bathroom?" A wild animal look in his eyes Zack fled into the room Logan had indicated. 

_Get a hold of yourself. Get it together soldier, _he ordered himself. He was sweating and he felt almost physically sick. It wasn't natural, it made him uncomfortable, and it was all because of Max. Zack doused his face with handfuls of water and threw himself into a calming, meditative mind set. He took a deep breath and stalked back into the room where Max was. "Did Original Cindy call back yet?"

"Nope." Logan doubted she had even gotten back to Jam-pony yet. All of Logan's answers to Zack were curt, Zack was a threat and he no doubt saw Logan the same way. Besides he would probably respond to Logan better this way, instead of acting like he was inferior just because he wasn't a miracle, or monster, of Manticore technology. Bling had never taken his eyes off Max or the clock. He'd definitely needed a full explanation from Logan, and deserved one, but it would have to wait until the crisis was averted. He shook his head he was beginning to sound more and more like Zack and didn't like it.

Knowing that Max kept coming back to this miserable city, despite Lydecker's forces and the danger they posed to her just to be with Logan, Zack new he had a shot at the solution and it stung. He sighed and walked over to the window, heights had always been a relatively safe place, and therefore claming to all of the X-series. Zack looked out over the city so that he did not have to look at Logan, but more so that Logan couldn't see the weakness in his eyes. His voice cracked when he spoke. "Logan?"

"Yeah Zack?" Logan felt bad for all the stress Max was putting him under. 

"That friend of yours, 'Eyes Only' tell him I appreciate him helping you contact me." Zack felt horrible, seeing Max like this was worse then some of the things that Lydecker used to do. Zack at least understood them. 

"Consider it done." Logan smirked. 

"I think I know how to bring her out of it." Zack said explosively. Suddenly he was all curtness and orders; being militant was always good for bottling up emotions. Emotions were useless anyway and always got in the way of your objective. "Logan Max has to know something about you that no one else does. Something that she would never forget, use that knowledge to bring her back to us."

Logan winched, the only thing Max knew about him that most others didn't was about 'Eyes Only'. Logan turn to Zack and rolled up beside him. "I trust anything said here will stay under wraps?"

"Yes." The clipped tone in Zack's voice almost demanded a 'sir' followed closely behind, but Logan didn't command that level of respect no matter how much Zack had his head in the game. 

"Alright." Logan moved over to his computer turning up the volume and adjusting the microphone on the head set. Then he turned to Bling.

"Soon." Was all Logan's trusted friend said, watching the clock and moving back to Max's side.

The phone started to ring just then and Logan swore. He rolled over to the table and just stared down at the phone. The machine picked up and Logan herd his own voice.

"You've reached the number you dialed, leave a message." *Beep*

"Hey Logan what's up? It's Original Cindy, pick up the phone."

Logan picked up the phone and turned off the machine. "Hey."

"I've got the four-one-one on what set Max off." You could almost hear the proud smile that played on her face.

"Alright, go ahead."

"Normal gave her a package that's been quarantined, but I got it and I'm going to bring it over. Sketchy was asking about her tat, got all up in her shit about it, really bugging her. Max was reading over her run sheet and dropped to the floor. Easy as that, how's my Boo doing?"

With that question Max snapped out of her sedation again, thrashing like mad.

"Nothing's changed." Logan tensed. 

Bling went to give her another shot and Logan winched.

"No." Zack was at Max's side holding her down. "I've got her, let her go." He turned to Logan with his eyes blazing. "End the communication, we've got to do this now!"

"All right Cindy, drop by but I've got to run." Logan hung up the phone.

"Come on Logan." Zack strained to hold Max down, even though their strength was normally matched.

Logan wheeled back over to his computer desk and had Bling slant the monitors into her plain of view. Then he spoke into the microphone. "This is an Eyes-Only streaming freedom bulletin for your ears only Maxine Guevara. Max Zack and I need you to come back to us. We need you to remember what you've forgotten; the threat is gone now. We're all very worried about you. We need you to snap out of this, Max please. . ." Logan stopped to look at her.

Max's eyes fluttered and her seizing slowed somewhat. Zack a look of surprise and self-disappointment at not figuring it out, motioned for Logan to keep talking. 

"The number you are reciting belongs to you and you alone. You are special and the number should help you remember why. Max-"

"L-Logan?" Max croaked out softly a look of delirium glazing over her eyes as she grabbed on to Zack's arm, not recognizing him. "Logan?" Max sounded panicked. 

Logan wheeled himself over to her bedside and snatched her hand from Zack. Max sat up and hugged Logan, almost pulling herself into his lap.

"Max, you need to rest. Lay down." She listened like a good little soldier and did what Logan told her to do.

Max snatching her hand away from Zack felt to him like a punch in the face. Max had hit Zack dozens of times and none of them stung like this non-existent strike. It resonated and made him feel empty. Max didn't remember him and it made his stomach hurt. Logan leaned over whispering softly to Max for a long time before her eyes cleared somewhat.

Max finally interrupted Logan and leaned back over to the middle of the bed. "Big brother?" She called Zack, who sat with his head hung, lost in his thoughts he didn't hear her. "Zack?" She yelled as loudly as he zapped strength aloud.

His head snapped up, tears brimming in his eyes that he quickly and efficiently blinked away. He moved back to her side. "Max?"

She nodded. "I'm back." She took his hand and noticed the scratch marks. She made a sour face. "I did that?"

Zack nodded simply and sniffled his nose giving away his moment of weakness. 

Max playfully punched his arm, it felt like little more then a tap to Zack. "What's this? Mr. Military is getting himself all upset over me. It's just me."

Zack shrugged off the emotions. "You had us all really scared Max."

"I thought you didn't get scared Zack." She teased.

"Everyone does at some point it their life, let it go little sister." Zack felt a warmth rise into his cheek and he turned his head. Max always had him second guessing himself. 

"Thank you Zack." Max said softly, "for figuring out how to get me back."

"You figured it out first." Zack shrugged again. "Do you know what triggered it?"

"Sure, I-"

There was a knock at the door and Bling went and answered it. Original Cindy walked into the room with a padded manila mailing envelope in her hand. "Here ya go Logan, one trigger." She handed it to him. "Max!" She flew across the penthouse to hug her best friend. "Good ta have ya back Boo."

Max just hugged her back, lightly.

"Sketchy's bugging hard. Home-boy thinks he did something ta mess ya up."

"He helped a bit, but tell him I'm fine and it's not his fault. I'll just kick his ass for it later."

Original Cindy laughed. "That's my girl." She hugged Max again and turned to leave. "Gotta run, you know how it is with work." They both rolled their eyes. "I'll see you at home."

Max turned and looked at the package in Logan's lap and shuttered.

"Max what is it?" Zack was up on his feet.

"Deck's messing with my head. Go take a look." She nodded towards the package.

Zack snatched it up out of Logan's lap. The return address was to a Deck Donaldson and it was addressed to a Don Lydecker, both at the same Seattle address. Inside it felt like there was a tape of sorts. Zack inspected and sniffed the package before he cautiously opened it, holding a video cassette in his hand. 

Max turned to Logan and yawned. "Can I have a glass of milk?"

"Sure Max." He rolled off into the kitchen and returned with a tall frothy glass.

Max sat up and wrapped her hands tightly around the glass, finishing it in a few large gulps. 

"Logan do you have a VCR?" Zack broke through the silence.

"Yeah over there." Logan pointed him the machine.

Zack turned back to Max. "I don't see why this got to you so bad; you didn't even watch the tape."

"No. Zack look at the envelope."

Zack looked down at the envelope in his hands, "Yeah I saw the address."

"Look at the postal code."

Zack looked down, he really was thrown off his game tonight, the postal code was Max's bare code number. "Ah," Zack nodded. "Between this and that guy asking you questions."

Max nodded.

"So let's see what's on the tape." Logan grabbed the remote control and Zack turned on the machine putting in the tape.

Across the screen flashed a set of all too familiar white numbers over a black background, Max's barcode numbers. Then it flashed pictures of her on a run, at a check point stop, then at crash, different times, over and over.

Zack breathed the words out "Max this is really bad."

Max didn't hear him or see what he was talking about she was fast asleep.


	2. My Way or The Highway

****

"Wake up!" Zack snapped his fingers in front of Max's face to wake her up. They were in Logan's apartment, but he and Bling were in another room working on his physical therapy. Zack was still amazed that Max had slept soundly through the entire night as he watched her.

Max bolted awake in the midst of a seizure.

Zack held his hand up to her mouth feeding her a handful of Typtophan pills. Max swallowed them down quickly and smiled, Zack was a good little boy-scout always prepared for anything. 

"Don't they ever bother you?" Max asked meaning the seizures.

"Sometimes." Zack shrugged his shoulders stiffly, "yours are much more sever."

"Lucky me."

"There's no such thing Maxie." Zack smirked. "Come out with me on to the roof." It wasn't a question; it was and order spoken as he pulled her up to her feet.

"I need to use the bathroom." Max stumbled into the room, avoiding the issue she knew was coming.

When she came back, Zack had a video playing on Logan's TV.

"I think you need to see this before we talk."

Max dutifully looked at the TV set, the video showed the same thing Zack and Logan had watched last night. Across the screen flashed a set of all too familiar white numbers over a black background, Max's barcode numbers. Then it flashed pictures of her on a run, at a check point stop, then at crash, and clocking in at Jam-pony different times, over and over.

"So Lydecker know I'm here, big deal. We knew that already."

"Max let's go up to the roof, we need to talk." Zack said his voice carrying the connotation of an order, so that Max followed him outside.

The wind whipped Max's hair and she hugged herself close, the remnants of the fever still in her system. 

"Do we have to have this conversation Zack, I mean we already know what we're both going to say." Max wasn't in the mood for this. Her body ached and inside she was raging. "I'm not leaving."

"If you were captured you compromise our security."

"You already did that. Lydecker knows everything you do about the others." Her comment hit home.

Zack grabbed her forcefully by her shoulders. "Wrong!" His eyes betrayed his true fury. "Everything they new is now falsified information. Everyone has re-located except you. You know a lot more now then what they got out of me then."

"You saw first hand what happens if they question me. I'm not afraid to die for my siblings."

"Yes, but Lydecker knows what he's doing more then some punk kid. He has ways of making you talk, ways of asking you a question without even asking it, trust me I know. What will they get out of you before you hit the breaking point? "

"Nothing." Max broke free of his grip and hit the brick wall by the door, shattering the brick and scraping up her knuckles. She couldn't believe he thought of her as such a liability, and didn't trust her. It was offending. She answered him dejectedly. "I love you all too much to let that happen."

"But Logan comes first." Zack fired the accusation at her.

"What of it?" Max shrugged.

"You'd rather be with him for a while and then give up your freedom falling back into Manticore's hands under Lydecker's control?"

"No! I'd rather die then go back there, you know that."

"Then you've got to come away with me."

"I can't, there's too much for me here."

"Then we'll take Mr. Eyes-only with us." Zack hated the idea the moment he'd spoken it, but he'd do anything to keep Max safe.

"He'd never do that."

"Have you asked him?"

"No, but Seattle's too important to him, he'd never do it, and it's not just about Logan." She moved closer to Zack to help block the wind.

"Emotions shouldn't cloud the mission."

"And what is the mission exactly oh high commander?"

Zack resisted the urge to hit her and growled his reply. "Safety."

"I have a life here Zack. Friends I consider a family."

"What about your real family?"

"There my family always, but right now my peeps come first."

"I worry about you Maxie."

"Don't do me any favors. I'm a big girl, you don't have to worry about me."

"How can I not?"

"Oh yeah I almost forgot, it's your job. Preserve the family at all costs."

"It's more then that."

"Well what is it then CO-itus going to your head?"

Zack stared at Max for a long time in silence. Then he took her softly into his arms. "If you don't know by now-" He kissed her, soft and deep holding her safe in his strong arms. "I love you Max."

"Zack!" Max sputtered and took a step back pushing him away. "Is that supposed to make me want to go? A deception tactic to distract me and get me to go along with your plan?"

"No, just to let you know the truth." There was a grain of truth in her accusation; usually Zack was capable of using anything as a means to have a successful mission. This time with Max it was different.

"You know, I stayed here so that you could find me after the helicopter crash." It was an off-handed comment driven out of Max by a guilty conscience. He had just told her he loved her and she was accusing him of lying.

"And I did." Zack wrapped his arms tightly around Max. "Come over the border with me you'll be back with your family."

It may have been the fever, but something snapped inside of Max at that last comment. She threw Zack away from herself, anger flaring in her eyes.

"You deserted me! I spent my whole life looking for our family and you had them all the time. You have no idea how lonely I was, by myself with strangers who were the enemy everywhere I turned. Then you decide to show up out of the blue at the start of this year and think I'm going to just drop everything, my friends and family to join yours? I worked hard to get rid of my loneliness, never knowing if any of you made it out, I'm not just going to blow it all off."

"You were never alone Maxie. I always had my eye on you, all of you."

"Then you watched me go through hell and did nothing." She was thinking about life with her foster family. "You had all of them and I had no one. You didn't even let me keep in touch with any of them, not even you! You think I'm a liability and now just because you love me, I'm safe?"

"It was all for your protection."

"Bull shit Zack! I think your only trying to protect yourself. From me, from getting to close to anyone or anything, from the emotions you think are going to cause your damn mission to fail."

Zack stared at Max, shocked before charging at her. "That's not true."

Max threw a punch at him which he blocked easily. "I only know about Jace and her baby and that's my secret."

"What about Jace?" Zack launched a kick at Max, they were sparing now.

"Well you know Lydecker retrained her. He sent her out to assassinate a Manticore doctor who Logan had been seeing. Jace and I fought and she collapsed, the doctor discovered she was pregnant. The father was some Manticore guard. I convinced her that the only way she could keep her baby was to desert Manticore and live free. Logan got her a passport and all the stuff she needed and we moved her over the border into Mexico. She said she'd name her baby after me." Max smiled. "I spoke to her about a week ago but I couldn't get in touch with you because you changed the voice mail number once you know I had access to it. That's not love." They were fighting with more then words now it was an old Manticore game. Max was panting but she struck out at Zack again, never give up never surrender.

Zack didn't realize how much he'd hurt Max. He kept up with the game but wasn't really trying to hurt her. She was sick for the first time he'd ever seen that wasn't the result of a Manticore experiment. It scared him. 

"I need to be able to get in touch with her Max, you know that."

"Yeah, yeah. Preserve the family at all costs. Blah blah, woof woof." She rolled her eyes and perched on the ledge of the roof. "I don't have her number she gets in touch with Logan."

"Next time you hear from her will you give her the extension?"

"If you can give it to me without changing it . . ." She shrugged looking out at the city.

"Max get down from there, if you seize and slip . . ."Zack moved closer to her.

"Whatever big brother. Zack I'm not that bad anyway I've got skills I wouldn't have falle-"

A seizure took hold of her body at that moment and Max slid her feet purposely from the ledge wrapping her knees over the ledge and leaning back she did a summersault to land herself back on the roof. It was only a mild seizure so she crouched on the roof shaking and glaring at Zack. "What so last time they had you Manticore hyped up your genetics so that your physic now?"

"No, stupid. I just know you very well. I can smell one coming on." Zack smiled actually making a sort of joke. "These sh0ouldn't be happening so often. What's wrong Maxie?"

"It's just my screwed up genetics."

It's more then that. Max tell me what's wrong."

"Sabs and Logan think it's a side effect from the probe."

"Probe? What probe?"

Max filled him in quickly on the whole 'Reds' incident. 

"Christ Max you could have killed yourself." Zack threw his hands up in the air.

"Cindy was in trouble I didn't matter."

"You always matter."

"The world could do with or without one more Manticore enhanced superhero running around."

"Don't put yourself down like that, soldier."

Max scoffed. "Soldier eh? Zack I'm not bunkering down with you in some chain of command family. That's one of the reasons I got out of Manticore. Been there done that hated it. Remember?"

"But you can't stay here?"

"What am I supposed to do say yes sir and hop to it? Why can't I stay here? You going to pull rank? Logan can help me with anything I need. Bling's getting really good at fixing me up. Anything requiring serious medical attention someone in the informant net will take care of. Most of all my peeps are here and I'm safe here."

"But you're not." Zack began to pace the length of the roof. "Lydecker's too close."

"So what Lydecker's been close to me since I got out. No big deal. I've dealt with it."

"I don't want to force you to leave. We both know I could. We also both know you'd be back here the second I turned my back. I don't want to leave you again."

"Then don't but I'm not going anywhere." Max jumped up and fled into Zack's arms pushing her head into the crook of his neck.

"Max?" Zack was surprised but happy as he bent his head and spoke into her sweet smelling hair. 

"I hate those things! They give me the creeps."

"Huh?" Zack took a step back.

"No, don't!" Max pulled him back close as one of the hover drowns circled the building and stopped to hover above them.

Zack looked up and noticed it and his heart sank. The moment it moved away so did Max and Zack sighed.

"Max I don't want to loose you." Zack said so softly even Max herself wasn't so very sure she had heard him.

"Your not going to Zack. I'll always be your little sister."

"But you're not. Not really. You know that Max."

Max sighed. "We just can't be like that."

"Why not?" Zack pulled he close. "It'd be easy. No more lying. No more confusion. No more fighting alone. No more running. We know everything about each other."

That was the problem Max thought but couldn't bring herself to say it. She knew Zack too well. Sure she enjoyed kissing him back. Sure just his very closeness was making her want to hold him. But it was Zack. "Zack, I-"

Zack got that far away look in his eye. "I've loved you since we were six Max from the first time I kissed you I knew."

"What?" Max knew they were close but never that close. Sometimes Zack used to climb on to her cot at night when he was frightened. Max moved closer to him for security but she always slowed her breathing and pretended to be asleep. Knowing Zack would never be happy with her knowing he had any sort of weakness. He was always there long after lights out and gone before they were woken up in the morning. Sometimes Max thought it was only a dream, something that kept her safe. Zack had only started doing it in the time after she was six and only once a month on average. Only in the times when he knew or thought he knew she was asleep. "What are you talking about Zack?"

Zack sighed lost in the memories. "It was after that big operation they did on you when they broke both your legs and arms trying to see how fast you would heal. The time they also went into your brain to try and stop the seizures."

Max shuddered remembering the time all too well. It had been very painful in those three weeks it took her body to heal. Manticore didn't believe in the use of pain medications and they had her back on her feet in four days time. "I remember."

Zack could see it all in his mind. "Lydecker called me into his office during lunch that day. He hooked me up to a whole bunch of monitors and sensors and gave me a shot. Then he told me my mission was to go into trauma room 2b in the infirmary and just watch over you."

Zack closed his eyes. "You were so pale and so small laid out on that huge cold steel gurney with your wrists and waist and legs strapped down. Lydecker told me to hold nothing back to try and breech the wall inside. They wanted to know if we could feel things without keeping them bottled up. I stood there watching you for a long time, thinking, remembering and then I got angry. Half an hour later I was shaking and my cheeks were wet. I hadn't moved from my position by the door, so my reaction wasn't from fatigue or anything and I was on edge. A doctor walked by the room and I nearly jumped out of my skin, I felt all weak and venerable. Lydecker had given me that damn shot before I went in and I had no idea what it was doing to me but I didn't like it. It scared me."

Zack fell silent for a moment and Max tightened her hold on him, keeping him grounded in reality the best she could and after a few quick breaths Zack continued. "I felt so bad for you Maxie you looked so helpless. I'd never seen any of our siblings like that before and it really hit me hard. I ran my hand over the stitches in you head, I didn't know what I was doing but I wanted to make you feel better. I talked to you even though I was sure you couldn't hear me, just telling you about everything that went on that day that you had missed. I was babbling and I knew if you did hear me that you really wouldn't care. It was just the same thing as the day before and tomorrow would be like. But I had to tell you something and I knew I couldn't lie and say everything would be all right because I really didn't know this time. I covered you up with a blanket. I really didn't know what I was doing or why I was there. I couldn't help you. There should have been a doctor in there or something. You stirred and whimpered a little and I'm still not sure why I did it. You were so cold to touch. It really was stupid but it happened. Even thought it went against everything we were taught it happened. I leaned over and hugged you softly then kissed your lips and broke down and cried holding you close. Then Lydecker burst in with this big cocky grin on his face.

"You've done good son." He said resting a hand on my shoulder and guiding me out of the room. I couldn't stop thinking about you or crying no matter how hard I tried. I felt so stupid and weak it actually had made me tired. The general let me take a nap in his office. Lydecker did it to me about every three months. It was almost always with you sometimes Sly or Jondy and always a little bit different. He brought me in with each of you girls all fifteen at least twice. I think he was using some sort of chemical to force me into heat." Zack finally stopped talking it seemed he couldn't bring himself to say anything more because he had already revealed way too much.

Max just gapped at him for a moment she'd never heard Zack talk like that about himself before and never so openly. She felt very sorry for him but he was still Zack. "We were just kids then Zack."

It was almost like Zack didn't hear her and had never stopped talking he did start passing the length of the roof as he started talking again. This time he was closer to being in control his voice had returned to it's normal monotone matter of fact tone. "They'd done it to Zane and Ben next but they went through all fifteen of us eventually. With Ben it was almost always Tinga. With Krit it was always Syl. Zane and Jondy. Jack and Eva. Jace and Wayne. Brin and Mike. You and I. I think they were paring us up with our prospective mates for when the heat actually took effect only they never counted on us not being there that long. For the guys or at least for me it was a test of loyalty too. I remember they took me in one time after Krit had been worked on and I punched twenty holes in the wall before Lydecker stopped me. They took me in after Jack's autopsy too. I remember shaking and crying hard up until then no mater how much they hurt us I had almost come to believe that we were invincible but seeing him shattered all of that. An animalistic cry took hold of me then and that was it. Max I don't even remember doing it just seeing all the chaos I had caused afterwards."

Zack's shoulders tensed and her twitched forward a little to come to rest leaning against the brick wall by the door to the stairs. "First I took all those cold harsh metal tools out of him. He just should not have been left like that. It wasn't right! I was just so enraged that I started to kick things. I kicked the legs out from the table in two shots. Then the table was on the floor with Jack still on it metal tools scattered all around him and it only made me madder. I smashed all the monitors in the room that relentless beeping was driving me crazy. The dead silence wasn't any better. I moved over to the door and kicked it off of the hinges. I was still hysterical pounding everything in site was the only thing I could think to do to cope. I put forty-five holes in the wall before Lydecker came in to try and stop me. I turned on Lydecker too. It was his fault after all he gave the order for Jack to be put down. They had to bring Zane into the room to get me off of Lydecker and hold me down. Lydecker was a bloody mess. The general had to sedate me and then Zane was ordered to take me down to the psychology ward."

Zack shuddered and shrugged and turned away from Max when he was done talking. Max had never heard Zack talk so much at one time let alone bare his soul. She had no doubt that he was feeling weak and venerable and didn't enjoy where he was at the moment. 

"The best thing that came out of that exercise was how I felt about you Maxie." Zack heaved a sigh and turned back to face Max.

"That must have been after I saw them working on him." Max had tears in her eyes. 

That wasn't exactly the reaction or answer that Zack had been expecting from her.

"Max?" Zack gapped at her. Hadn't she heard anything he'd said? Didn't she understand how he felt? Couldn't she see he'd laid his soul out bare on the table in front of her leaving him extremely vulnerable? Wouldn't she realize that he couldn't bring himself to ask her any of this and had wrapped it all up in the simple proclamation of her name? Why couldn't she realize she felt the same? If he could see it in her eyes he was sure she must have felt it on some level.

"What?" Max bit off her response confusion settling deep in her dark brown eyes. "What is it Zack?"

"Max, I love you. You're a very important part of me all of you are." Suddenly Zack was back to his old self, he had returned to his place back within the high walled fortress in which he held all his emotions. "So, what is your decision?"

Zack turned his back on Max again and maybe for the last time. He'd come to a split second decision he simply could not wait for Max forever. Looking out on the skyline he also knew he would not be able to bear her company if she choose Logan over him. He'd leave her quite possibly for good if it came down to that. Seeing Max close to Logan would be an attack on him over and over again like small swift jabs from a dagger.

"You can't force me into your way of life." Max said softly. She didn't mean Zack per say, or Logan or even Lydecker. She was speaking more to God (If she believed he existed), The Blue Lady, or herself. Someone or something always seemed to have some sort of order for her to follow.

Zack saw something he didn't like in Max's eyes now. She looked like a caged animal or a cornered one. A wild animalistic glaze settled over her deeply troubled eyes. Her hands clenching and unclenching into small fists at her side shook as she moved. He saw how tense her muscles had become. He saw the fear in her eyes. He hated himself for being the cause of it. She'd been through so much already, been hurt so many times, all of them had really. He was supposed to protect her not hurt her. Zack knew the look and tensed himself. "Max, don't."

Max wasn't listening Max wasn't even really there. She felt trapped and falling back on her Manticore training she turned and fled. The door to the roof slammed shut locking Zack and the threat out. Max's feet only touched solid ground on the landings and in less then three leaps she was in the hallway to Logan's penthouse. She burst through the door of the apartment out of breath her heart pounding in her ears. "Forgot my jacket." She fired at a startled Logan who was in the kitchen starting breakfast. She snatched up her jacket from a near by chair. "Gotta blaze!"

And before Logan had time to say anything she was gone. Logan was instantly fuming. What could Mr. Military have said to her to make Max feel that she had to run out like that her face flushed and contorted in pain and confusion? She was sick. She should have been in bed being pampered not playing seek and evade with her head strong CO.

*

Zack blinked and Max was gone before he even had the chance to reach out to her. She was gone in a gust of wind and streak of messy curls the door slamming shut after her and Zack heard the definitive click, which told him he was locked out. Too much, too soon. He swore and hit the wall. She'd run from him like he was the enemy while he was supposed to be her protector. He was doing a great job at that giving her all this undue stress when she was sick. It made him feel like a monster, no better then Lydecker himself. Where would she go? Even Max was smart enough to know that the space needle was not a safe place in the middle of the day. He shook his head. What a fool he had been. He'd waited eleven years he could have had the insight to wait for a few more days. But no for the first time in his life he had decided to throw caution to the win and speak his mind. 

Zack scolded himself and passed the roof. He was trapped. He didn't feel right breaking the lock on the door that would compromise 'Eyes Only' and Max's security in the long run. His lock picking tools were in Logan's apartment safe inside his backpack along with his grappling cables. That made jumping not and option. In any case jumping would draw attention to himself during daylight hours, which wouldn't be a good idea. He sighed and sulked stuck with his own guilty thoughts. He folded his arms across his chest and stalked across the roof to the opposite side. As far as he could tell the two sides he checked had no fire escape he could lower himself down to.

The other side of the building rewarded him with the fire escape he needed. It was ten floors down from where he was. He could see the reaction of the people in that apartment now. Oh no, go on, continue with your breakfast don't mind the man climbing in through your window. Real inconspicuous. What would he say, Oh my sister locked me out on the roof so I jumped. In all honesty Zack probably would not have said anything if he'd done it. It was still liable to raise questions he didn't want to answer. So Zack grabbed hold of the ledge Max had been sitting on and jumped landing feet first on the fire escape in a crouch. If he ran down he might just have time to stop Max in the lobby. No chance of that, he paused as he heard the familiar sound of Max's Ninja revving up. She'd be long gone by the time he reached the street. So he'd let her go and have her time to think. 

He ran down the fire escape as if his life depended on it and in many ways it did. On the street there was no sign of Max though he really didn't expect her to be sitting there waiting for him to sweep her off of the seat and into his arms. Zack gave up for the time being and forced himself to run the flights of stairs up to Wonder Boy's penthouse apartment. Running was a good release of pent up anger and an even more fitting punishment for himself. Each step scolded him in Lydecker's voice with words that had never been used before. Strength. Duty. Discipline. Failure. Coward. Weak. Protector? Tormentor. Deserter. Failure. Big Brother. Off-guard. Over Emotional. Stupid. Mean. Failure. Unacceptable. Soldier. When it boiled down to it that was all he was and maybe it was all he was capable of being ever. 

A very delicious smell greeted him as he stood momentarily outside Logan's door listening. All he was rewarded with was the sound of clatter in the kitchen and two people chewing. He could still smell Max but new she wasn't really there just that she had been there too many times. He reached out to knock on the door which swung open the moment his hand hit it. In her haste to high tale it out of there Max must have forgotten to lock the door. The fact that it was still open told him also that no one had bothered to go after her. Smart given the frame of mind she was in. Whoever followed her was just asking to get hurt. 

Logan looked up to see Zack standing in the doorway to the kitchen. He was about to let loose on Zack when he got a good look at the boy. His face was flushed, his knuckles bloody and then there were his eyes. He looked like a lost child, sad, dejected, humiliated and hopeless. "You and Max have a fight?"

That was painfully obvious so Zack gave Logan no reply. He stood staring lost and longingly but with an inkling of fear at some memory Logan and Bling couldn't see. Logan was sure that Zack was caught in some memory of Manticore. If it weren't for that fact that he knew Zack had hurt Max Logan would have felt sorry for him. 

"Sit down, you want some breakfast? It's eggs benedict and waffles one of Max's favorites." Logan asked moving back to the stove to make Zack up a plate. Maybe he did feel a little bit sorry for the boy, but he still had to get his digs in, the two were far from being on friendly terms.

As if following and order that had been issued to him Zack collapsed down into an empty chair at the table and grunted in reply laying his head down on his hands. His nerves were raw every sensation was overwhelming and he had a strong urge to just curl up and sleep. Maybe he wanted to curl up and die, no he'd never give Manticore that satisfaction. He was just completely physically and mentally shot. 

"Zack?" As much as Logan disliked him he still felt an obligation to the younger man. Logan knew what he had been through from the stories Max had told him and that ultimately he was Max's protector. He'd saved her life countless times and because he meant something to Max Logan felt he owed Zack something. Zack had kept her safe when Logan couldn't he owed the boy for that also. Zack was after all the closets thing to a family Max would ever have. If Logan wanted to take care of Max for the rest of her life that meant looking out for her family too. They meant too much to Max for Logan not to care about them. Logan turned to Zack who still had his head on the table.

"Zack when was the last time you ate?"

Zack simply grunted in reply.

Logan sighed Zack hadn't seemed that far gone to him when he'd causally strolled into the kitchen. Zack really did wear one hell of a thick mask. He reasoned that the only way he'd get a response out of Zack was to use a militaristic tactic. So he drew himself up to as perfect posture as one can muster in a wheelchair, put an authoritative tone behind his words and a stern look on his face. "How long have you been here, soldier?"

"Twenty three hours." Zack barked his answer back after raising his head up to look at the clock on the far side of the room.

Now that Logan had him talking he dropped the ridiculous superior soldier act.

"Plus the two it took you to get here." Logan nodded and saw Zack mimic his motion. Curt simple nods of his head once up, once down his eyes staying focused on the tabletop. "That's one day and one hour that I haven't seen you eat or sleep."

"I don't sleep." Zack answered in a monotone voice.

"No that's Max and Jondy." Logan grinned and shook his head becoming serous again. "When was the last time you had a warm meal Zack?"

"I don't remember." Zack answered simply.

"Have something then." Logan stuck a plate full of food in fornt of Zack. Eggs benedict and waffles pilled high.

Zack managed a weak smile of gratitude pushing the food around his plate with a fork but not eating any of it. It had actually been a little more then four days since he'd eaten anything substantial but the incident on the roof had left him without an appetite. 

"So what happened up there Zack?" Logan had given Bling an explination of yesterdays events while they worked on his legs and Logan felt Zack owed him on now.

"I can't talk about it." Simple curt and to the point Zack was safe behind his fortress walls. The only thing that snuck past his defensses was that smell food had been one of the many things lacking at Manticore. And with that simple thought and lingering smell Zack was gone.

************

Zack was the first of the squad to leave the barracks and arrive at the room they called the mess hall. He stood at attention waiting for everyone else to show up, they were all supposed to be present and accounted for at 0600 hours precisely. Zack was always there at 0550 hours, as the leader her had to set an example. Normally in the mornings they were allowed cold cereals if they were hungry and were forced to consume their share of rations. The rations were mostly vitamin and amino acid supplements that were required to be ingested at least once a day, more then that after you had been experimented on. The rations weren't very tasty, but they were told that they kept them alive and healthy.

The smell wafting from the heated trays behind the row of glass, penetrated his senses line of defense and was killing him, it smelt so good! Everyone was always hungry on Sundays, or at very least they ate without being forced. Sundays were different and not one of them had been able to figure out why. Every Sunday morning they got to eat something new, something different. Today his keen senses told him it was some kind of eggs and waffles.

"Fall in. Stand at attention!"

Zack took a step forward and took a quick head count, he was proud of the line of soldiers behind of him. They had two minuets until Colonel Lydecker would be there and he was missing three of his men. Max. Jondy. Ash. Inside Zack was raging; outside he was the picture of control and composure. The perfect solider and he expected nothing less from his younger brigade. Max and Jondy ran up to the doorway hand in hand, giggling. They dropped hands as they cleared the doorway, falling into step with one another as they made their way to their places in the line up. They had one minuet and one soldier to go. They'd all get punished if Ash didn't make it there on time. 

Last night in the barracks well after lights out Max and Jondy had been the first to respond to Ash. Zack swore those two never slept, they even slept less then he did. Soon anyone who wasn't sleeping had gathered around a groaning Ash. He was store and stiff and his joints were kind of swollen up. Ben had told us all the story of the good place and Max and Jondy had sung softly until Ash fell asleep. This morning Ash had been in the bathroom before their morning run, spitting up blood. He was scared to death and dead set against going to the infirmary level of the complex. He was afraid they'd take him down to the basement and let the nomies get to him and suck out all his blood. Colonel Lydecker stood in front of the line of soldiers his eyes boring holes into the face of the clock about the children's heads. 

0600 hours, Zack knew the time without having to look at the clock. Five minuets later Ash jogged into the room and took his place in line. No one breathed or let alone moved. Zack new he was in pain, he could see it in the way Ash held himself, but pain was not an excuse for laziness or failure. If Zack was angry, Colonel Lydecker looked like he was going to explode. Colonel Lydecker stalked his way down the line of soldiers, each standing a little bit straighter as he passed.

"You're late soldier!" Colonel Lydecker barked looking down on the boy. "What is your excuse for your tardiness?"

"Sir, I have no excuse, excuses cover up weakness, sir! I had to make use of the bathroom, sir." Ash barked back his answer suppressing a grimace as a shot of pain surged through his body. Zack saw it hidden deep in Ash's eyes, though the boy's face remained an emotionless mask as he was taught, looking Colonel Lydecker right in the eye.

There was little Colonel Lydecker could do to argue with that. "See that you don't let it happen again, soldier."

"I wont sir." Ash's bit the inside of his lip, his resolve almost broken down by the pain, and Zack saw it right away. Standing at attention was hell on his screaming muscles. 

He stepped forward one step out of the line. "Permission to begin the proceedings, sir."

Colonel Lydecker turned his back on Ash, who slumped at bit standing at ease and rolling his shoulders. He sighed, a sound Colonel Lydecker would never have heard and mouthed a thanks to Zack who barely moved his head in a nod of reply. Zack had to protect his younger siblings even if it meant he would get in trouble himself. Colonel Lydecker was fuming and the ten guards in the room seemed to take no notice.

"Did I give you permission to speak, soldier?" Colonel Lydecker yelled leaning down to get right into Zack's face.

"Sir, no sir." Zack stood at full attention expecting to feel a swift and reprimanding blow.

Ben who was standing next to Zack squirmed, not anything noticeable to the normal human eye, it was more of a change in the air current around himself that Zack felt. Ben never even relaxed his tensed muscles, but his stomach let out the fierce growl of a hungry soldier. Next to Ben Zane and Jack allowed slight grins to form on their faces, after all they were only five-year-olds and it was funny.

"Hungry, soldier?" Colonel Lydecker actually allowed himself to smile.

"Sir, yes sir. It's the smell, sir." Zack answered his superior officer.

"Permission granted, soldier." Colonel Lydecker gave Zack a curt nod of his head.

"Fall in precession." Zack commanded at the top of his voice, stepping back to allow his squad to pass him by one by one. He always let them eat before him on the off chance that there was not enough food to go around. Colonel Lydecker had done that on last Sunday and as a result Zack, Brin, and Zane had chosen not to eat. Max had offered not to eat as well, but she was always so small and had been experimented on twice that week. Zack actually had to order her to eat she need all of her strength to recuperate even if she wasn't hungry. 

Starting with Ben they each grabbed a tray, filling past Zack take their place at the table. It was proper procedure that Zack brought them all their food after they asked his permission to be seated. They all sat in two neat rows of nine neatly shaved heads on either side of the table, with proper posture, back straight, feet flat on the floor, unused hand in lap, and elbows off the table. Zack sat at the head of the table and Max at the far end opposite him. Once all their trays were squared off Zack looked up. On either side of Max were Jondy and Krit, Brin was to Zack's right and Zane to his left. Zack caught Brin shoot a glare at Max, they spent alternating days at the head of the table or at his right-hand position. It seemed Brin never forgot their constant competition for second in command. Zack took his knife in his right fist and banged the handle of it against the tabletop. Nineteen others repeated the motion in sync. They all began to cut their food, Max speeding through the task and looking up to watch the others. 

When Max saw the last of them were done she repeated Zack's motion banging her knife against the table. The rest of them and a curt nod from Zack echoed it. Silently and under Colonel Lydecker's watchful eye they all began to eat. In formation, bringing the food, with the use of utensils, to the mouth, not the mouth to the food. Forks lifted in sync vertical to mouth level and then horizontally to the mouth and then followed the same 90-degree angle back down to the plate. Colonel Lydecker clasped Zack on the shoulder halting all of there eating.

"Good job soldier," He said softly for only Zack to hear. They had become more disciplined in the short amount of time Colonel Lydecker had been away. Then loudly for the whole group to hear, "Cary on, report to classes at 0700."

"Sir, yes sir." They stopped eating to salute him as he left to go to his office to indulge in his meal in private. 

They kept in check until the door slammed shut behind him.

"At ease." Zack allowed himself a half smiled ordering them to relax. 

Max turned to Jondy and quickly told her friend something around a mouth full of eggs. Jondy laughed milk threatening to come spurting out of her nose. A near by guard relaxed also a smile creeping on to his face happy to see the children acting like the kids they were. Zack smirked and shook his head; those two were always too close. Brin scowled at her younger sisters they were annoying at times and never careful when Colonel Lydecker wasn't watching them. One day it would get them into trouble. Eva who was sitting next to Jondy joined in laughing at Max's joke. Brin turned up her nose, it probably wasn't a good one anyway, and she turned to Sly and started her own conversation. Krit the youngest of the boys signaled to Zack, using hand signals and asking if he could have more, the pecan waffles were so good, this way the personnel in the room could not catch him in a moment of weakness. Zack nodded and singled him to ask the highest-ranking guard in the room if it was all right. Krit did as he was told and with permission went up to the food line followed by a few others. 

Ben was still hungry but he stayed seated speaking softly to Ash who was complaining of pain in his gums. He'd only eaten about half of his waffle and a few mouthfuls of eggs, regardless of how good the food looked, smelled and tasted he just wasn't hungry. Ash was telling Ben how his sore muscles ached and showing him his swollen joints. The others had returned to the table when Ash stopped speaking mid sentence. Four, minuets and a little more time passed before Ash gasped. Ash shot up from his seat overturning it and eyes bulging fell to the floor hands flying up to his neck. Trying, struggling, gasping for breath that he could not get. 

Everyone froze silence falling over the cafeteria. No one moved out of pure shock. X5's did not go down that easy usually you couldn't get them to drop unless drugs were involved. The guards swarmed all speaking into their radios at once only on different frequencies, moving in around Ash. Max flew up from her seat as well overturning it and went to Ash's side. She had just started individual, experimental medical training where she was taught CPR and certain things to be a field medic. If she did well then the others would eventually follow in the training so that they could help themselves out in the field. She fell to her knees at his side and worked desperately, throwing one of the guards out of his way. Zack along with the others who had no idea about her additional training gapped at her as the five-year-old flew into action. 

When the medics finally showed up after what seemed like forever, they had to move Max bodily and by force away from Ash. Her efforts producing no reaction in the boy the medics tried to revive him. They finally gave up and took Ash away on a stretcher, standing there watching Max broke down and cried. Zack moved to stand next to her, his presence a source of comfort or so he thought until Colonel Lydecker stormed through the door minuets latter. Max snapped to attention the second Colonel Lydecker stormed through the door, her tears stopping as she bit her bottom lip. Zack was very proud of her control over her emotions. Colonel Lydecker was anything but as he stalked across the room and stood before her.

"Tears soldier?" He glared down at her.

"Sir, no sir." Max's voice cracked betraying her.

"What is your excuse soldier?" Colonel Lydecker barked the question at her.

Max stood up a little straighter. "Sir, I worked on him hard, sir. I tried. . ."

"And you failed. There is no try, only do, soldier."

"Yes sir, but I did sir. I worked on him but it didn't work." Balled up at her sides Max's hands shook ever so slightly, something that only Zack at his close range to her could detect. 

"You failed." Colonel Lydecker barked getting right down in the young girl's face his own red with anger. "We'll intensify your training. For now X-5542 report to my office, the rest of you off to class, NOW."

They all jumped to follow their orders clearing out of the mess hall marching in single file past Max. Each saluted Colonel Lydecker as they past, Zack even shot a glance at Max that could only be interpreted as some for of guilt registering in his eyes. 

When Zack returned to the barracks after dinner it was dark, none of them had seen Max all day and at first he didn't see his younger sister there either. Then he saw her huddled in the far corner of the room next to her cot. A small bundle of grey wrapped up in one of the Manticore gowns. 

"Lights out, everyone into bed." Zack barked out the order.

"What about Max?" Jondy spoke up.

"I'll take care of her." Zack answered. "I said get into bed soldier!"

"But I'm not tired!" Jondy argued she had a little of Max's tenacity.

"You never are. I didn't say you had to sleep. Lay down, that's an order you shouldn't challenge." Zack growled he was standing mere inches from her face. "All of you!" He turned his voice ringing out clear in the quiet room. 

Jondy's body tensed. "I want to see Max."

"She'll be fine." Zack answered her softly hearing the door lock click shut for the night. "I'll make sure of it Jondy."

Jondy nodded and dutifully climbed into bed. "Ben tell us a story?"

Zack strode purposefully over to Max's bed and sat down near the headboard being positioned almost directly above her. "Maxie?"

Ben began softly to tell the others the story of the good place telling them how Ash was there now and that he was safe and no one could yell at him anymore.

Max sat hunched over facing the corner of the room. Her back was to Zack, her small rounded shoulders jerking up and down in a rhythmic motion. Zack was almost certain that Max was crying, but the hallow yet steady voice that answered him proved him wrong. 

"I failed him," she croaked out softly just as Zack was about to lay a hand on her shoulder, a hand he quickly withdrew.

"How many classes did you have?" Zack asked.

"Three," Max answered softly her shoulders still shaking, "not that it matters.""Then it can't possibly be you fault Max." He said softly.

"It is! I should have been ready! I shouldn't have-" Max insisted.

"No Max there was nothing you could have done, I talked to Colonel Lydecker. Ash had a genetic defect; he was allergic to the nuts in the waffles." Zack reached out and spun her around to look at him so that she would see in his eyes that it was the truth. 

"No one knew-" Zack trailed off when he saw her. 

Red rimmed, guilt ridden, dark brown eyes met with his own compassionate blue ones. That wasn't what had stopped him, but it was what he saw next. In Max's hand was an ordinary pushpin from one of the bulletin boards in the cafeteria, in the other a balled up, well used tissue. Zack had spun her so fast that she didn't have time to stop. Doubled over on her knees she was busily poking the pin into her wrist- neatly, rhythmically, precisely, and disciplined, watching tiny drops of blood form from each hole she made. She didn't flinch. She didn't say "Ouch!" or anything. The look on her face never changed from the mixture or self-hatred and guilt hidden under that perfect Manticore mask. Max just huddled there stabbing and whipping away the blood with a tissue, stabbing and staunching like a robot. For one horrifying moment Zack was powerless to do anything. The wrist of the hand that held the pin was already covered in hundreds of little red dots. Zack did the only thing he could and smacked her hand hard, the sound echoing over the lull of Ben's voice and sending the pin scattering out across the floor and spinning away from her. 

Max gasped up at him as if coming out of a trance. "I made Ash die. . ."

"No," Zack was on the floor next to her his hands grabbing her by the wrists, now her small face crumbled. The others craned their necks to see what was going on from the vantage points of their beds. In the bed right across from her Brin had the best view. 

Zack wrapped his arms around her in a hug, more to hold her still and keep her from hurting herself then to comfort her. He ripped strips of material off of the end of her sheet and careful wrapped up her wrists, still holding her. If any of the officers got one look at it they'd send her down to the psychology ward and possibly give her shocks. There was always the threat of something being seriously wrong with her and them chaining her up in the basement with the nomies. It was a good thing both their gowns and fatigues had long sleeves. 

"Max, why?" Zack shook his head.

"Zack," she started to answer him.

************

"Zack," The sound of Logan's voice brought Zack back to the present. "If you just sit there and stare at it it's going to get cold and then you really won't want to eat it."

Zack nodded mutely jolted back to the present and obediently shoveled a fork full of eggs into his mouth. He then jumped out of his seat overturning it and went over to the window. He hoped Max wasn't weak enough to pull something stupid like that again, but he was worried. "I'm not hungry." He said again.

Logan knew that some horror from Zack's childhood, if you could call it that, had come back to haunt him. Though the expression on Zack's face never changed the skin on it had grown a shade or two lighter. Then there were his eyes the same haunted ones Max owned when the flashbacks came.

Zack moved to sit on the windowsill and drew his knees up to his chest looking out on the city below. "Where does Max usually go when she's upset?"

"During the night the space needle, my roof or at Crash. Now maybe she went home to hang with Cindy or for a bike ride. If she's upset and she's here she usually ends up right where you are now." Logan smiled at the thought of that. His smile was quickly wiped away as he realized Zack sat where Max had so many times and where Logan could never end up on his own. 

Zack sighed and rested his head on the cool glass hoping that Max wouldn't get into trouble and thought to himself, 'Max where are you?'


	3. Escape and Evade

****

Zoom. Faster and faster. The needle pushed to the peg at the end of its range, but her baby speed along the costal road faster then the speedometer could tell. The wind in her hair Max speed away from all her problems trying desperately to leave her thoughts in the dust. She should have listened to Logan when he'd tried to warn her. "He cares for you Max as more then just a brother." Why did Logan have to be right? Why did Zack have to go and complicate everything by telling her the truth? Why now of all times? When she'd finally come to terms with how she felt about Logan, though she'd never tell a soul. 

She loved him! Eyes Only, but it was so much more then just his eyes. It was the man behind those sexy glasses. Logan's eyes watching over her. Those beautiful eyes ... Zack had to go and complicate it all. She'd always loved Zack since they were young now he loved he back as a sister but more ... She didn't know what to do. Where to run. Who she was running from or towards. Someone's arms should be comforting her, but whose? At least now she knew why they seemed to dislike each other so much. Logan and Zack saw each other as the enemy in the war over her. 

Her head was spinning the fever was still in her system. Something was definitely wrong; she just wanted to go to sleep. She never wanted to sleep; she needed to sometimes, but never wanted to. Sleep was a waste of time even though there wasn't alot to do while everyone else slept since she'd lost Jondy. She didn't want to deal with this. So she couldn't stop. If she did then the nagging questions would catch up to her and demand answers. Answers she didn't know. Answers she didn't have. Answers she couldn't deal with finding. Not now. 

It had never been about Logan not being able to walk at least not for Max. Maybe she did have a bit of that good old Manticore reserve. The thing she hate Zack for and the same thing Logan seemed to respect her for. Lately it had been about professional courtesy or at least Max and Logan told themselves that. 'Eyes Only' could not have a relationship with an operative, it just wouldn't be right. On a more basic level it for Max it was holding on to one of her truest friends in the world. Along with Logan, Max could count the number of friends she had on one hand. Original Cindy, Kendra, Sketchy, Herbal and Logan. Five and it was sad really. Sure there was Bling and Sebastian and Normal and her siblings, but those relationships were different. She didn't want to loose what she had in Logan, a true friend. They were just friends, period.

In all honesty that was all bull and she was just scared. Plain chicken shit. A coward afraid of emotional commitment. Maybe she was more like Zack then she cared to admit. And then there was Zack her big brother and protector, not family really but the closest thing she'd ever have. She loved him sure and along with her other siblings, he was truly her best friend in the world. They understood everything. Words weren't even necessary, sometimes hand signals weren't even needed, and eyes' meeting at a memory brought on by a shared sensation was all it took. Being Manticore born and bread Zack embodied everything Max was as well as everything Max had run away from the night of the escape. She was running again, but this time she had the knowledge of her other sibling's lives. Tinga's story told her that romances out side of Manticore were great but fleeting and only ended in big trouble. Jace's story told her that romances inside Manticore only survived by being free. Brin's story told her that she couldn't run forever. Ben's story told her that the monsters in your past always ran faster then you could and would catch up to you in the end. She just didn't want to run anymore. 

She had just about reached the checkpoint anyway and because she had not talked to Logan before she left she had no way of passing it. She could always get through on the premise that she was a Jam Pony messenger, but she didn't actually want to pass through she barely felt up to driving back. She didn't want to run anymore so she'd go back to Logan's and stay indifferent to both men until she could make a decision. Maybe she didn't want to make the decision maybe she wanted everything to be just as it was before today ever happened. Back when Logan was just her best friend and Zack was just he brother. She really wanted to go home and hang out with Cindy and talk it all out but she was too tired and needed to rest. So she spun the bike around and headed back to the towers. 

*

Zack sat on the couch perched on the armrest brooding in his own self-pity. Logan watched Zack now truly feeling bad for him because he had never seen the X-5's fearless leader in such a state. Suddenly it became clear to Logan, he and Zack were in the same boat they both loved Max but Max was a hard nut to crack. Logan still disliked the boy but sympathized with his plight because he too was burdened by it. If Zack was not an X-5 Logan would have said the boy could have used a stiff drink. X-5 or not drinking away ones pain was always helpful. It was only and hour, no closer to two now, past noon and as Max had told him once 'it was never to early to get your drink on'.

Logan went into the kitchen and came out with a bottle of wine and two glass goblets already filled. Without a word he handed one of the glasses to Zack. Zack excepted the glass and Logan watched as her finished the ten ounces in four large gulps. It was then that Logan realized he'd never seen Max drunk. Sure he'd seen her drink countless numbers of times but it never seemed to effect her too badly. He didn't know how much it took the X-5's to get drunk or even if the chimeras could get drunk at all. It might not have been in their genetic makeup after all a drunken soldier was a sloppy soldier. Very intolerable for a soldier. They probably had an extremely high tolerance level if they could even get drunk at all. Logan smirked. Instead of asking if he'd like a refill, he didn't think Zack would appreciate that, he simply handed the boy the bottle and sipped at his own drink. 

Zack tool the bottle he was offered and stared at it. Then he smelled it, not bad. Then he tasted it. It was kind of sweet and sour all at once and he grimaced slightly. He hadn't really had time to taste the first glass he had downed. He had drunk it down quick like a child would with a dose of medicine because for the time being that's what this was for him. He took a sip and then chuckled. Lydecker had a drinking problem. That was funny. Hell maybe the old saying like father like son actually applied to this situation in some convoluted way. Everything really was Lydecker's fault one way and Manticore's in another. Zack made a silent toast to hell and the 'father' and took another swig from the bottle. Logan was looking at him funny. Zack squinted for a moment focusing in on only Logan's eyes. It was so obvious that Mr. Wonder boy Cale and Eyes Only were the same person. Zack chastised himself for not making the connection sooner. It was very very obvious and extremely stupid of him not to have realized it. Especially after all the times the anonymous self proclaimed savior of the free world or what was left of it had helped notify the X-5's when they had been compromised. Zack chugged the wine again. He could chug for a considerably long period of time. It was easy to down half a bottle in no time when you only had to stop drinking to breathe on average once every five minuets. All that underwater training finally paid off for something worth wild. It was all very amusing and Zack couldn't help but laugh again. 

Logan couldn't help but laugh himself. It really was amusing to see Mr. Military making face mumbling to himself and laughing. Maybe it was easier to get an X-5 drunk then Logan had originally thought. Or maybe whatever had happened with Max on the roof had caused the younger man to loose it. Zack was drinking like he was a minor who had gotten his hands on his first six pack. He was downing the alcohol as fast as he could thinking that was the way that a person got drunk. Maybe the high commander of the X-5's had never gotten drunk before. Maybe Logan was corrupting Zack maybe Logan didn't care. For a moment he'd forgotten about how much he hated the boy and what he had just done to Max. It was just too funny to watch for Logan to stay angry right now. Or maybe it was just the ten ounces of wine he had finally finished taking its toll on him. Logan definitely didn't have the tolerance of an X-5 no where's close actually. 

Neither of them had spoken since they started drinking but the silence in the room spoke volumes. Both men previously rivals for being love sick over the same girl had found a common ground in trying to drink the problem away. Logan laughed at that thought and glanced down at his empty glass. The movement caught Zack's attention. Zack looked protectively down at the bottle and then over at Logan. He had the same look in his eyes he usually used when he looked at Max or one of his other siblings. 

"Hey Zack", Logan held the empty glass out to him. "Top me off will you?"

Zack looked confused. Either he had never heard the expression before and didn't know what it meant or he really was being protective over the bottle now. Either way Logan had grown impatient. That was quite an expensive bottle of wine and he wasn't about to let Mr. Military have it all. "I do have a few more bottles Zack don't worry."

Zack shrugged and leaned over re-filling Logan's glass. "Well when you put it that way okay."

Logan nodded his thanks to Zack and then clinked his glass to the neck of the bottle Zack still clutched. Logan was astonished Mr. Military had actually smiled when he'd done it.

"Cheers."

"Yeah, cheers."

Zack chugged out of the bottle again and when he opened his eyes and put the bottle down there was Wonder boy still right in front of him. After watching him take a few sips out of his glass and looking over at him wonder boy grinned up at Zack. He looked like such a fool. Zack must have been grinning himself because a few seconds latter he was laughing as well a very foreign sound to him. Then wonder boy joined in laughing as well. Silence was never this funny before. If it had been it very well might have been a very deadly force at Manticore. Soon after the two men composed themselves Logan's glass was empty again along with the bottle Zack had been given.

"I'll get another bottle." Logan new it wasn't up to question whether they needed another bottle or not. He wheeled himself into the kitchen and Zack could hear him open the refrigerator to search for another bottle.

Zack couldn't help but laugh. If you wanted to get technical about it, "Wonder boy was driving drunk."

Logan pretended to be hurt as he came back into the room with the second bottle. "I heard that Zachary." Logan scowled at Zack but couldn't keep from laughing. Zack technically was right about it but the alcohol had given Logan a big dose of confidence. "Take it back Mr. Military."

"Or what?" Zack bristled and laughed. "You're going to run over my foot Wonder boy?"

"If you're not careful I just might." Logan uncorked the bottle. "Or I might just cut you off and not let you drink anymore."

Now Zack looked hurt. "You wouldn't. You know I was only goofing around."

Logan laughed. Zack wasn't capable of goofing around so it must have been what they boy was thinking, but it didn't matter. "Sure you were. Next thing you'll be telling me it was the wine talking."

"That sounds good." Zack tilted his head looking over at Logan. "Would that work? Would that make us friends again?"

"We never were friends." Logan filled up both the goblets and then handed Zack the bottle as a peace offering. A drunk X-5 must speak of all of the repressed emotions he had because this wasn't at all like Zack. No more inhibitions or Manticore issued walls.

"We could try for Maxi's sake. What do you say Wonder boy?" Zack took a swig out of the bottle. 

Logan mocking saluted Zack. "Sir, Mr. Military. It's worth a try, sir."

Zack laughed and held the bottle out to Logan's glass. "To friendship then."

"Forced as it might be, to friendship." Logan clinked his glass to the bottle. "So Maxie, huh?"

"Yeah," Zack chuckled. "She doesn't like it too much. She usually socks me for it."

"I'll keep that in mind." Logan took four big gulps downing half of his glass.

"It's good solid advice. You'd be smart to take it Wonder boy." Zack slugged out of the bottle again.

"Like I said Mr. Military, I'll keep it in mind. What else can you tell me about Maxie?" Logan thought that maybe he could get something useful out of the drunken X-5.

"She's stubborn and she can really pack a punch." Zack took another drink from the bottle and rubbed his sore arm. 

"I know that." Logan took another drink finishing off the third glass and moving on to the fourth. "So what were you two arguing about?"

"Oh no Wonder boy you're not getting me to break down that easily." Zack shook his head and chugged from the bottle again crossing his arms across his chest when he was done.

"You love her don't you Mr. Military?"

Zack mad a face but Logan couldn't read his expression. "Well I know you do Wonder boy and you've known her for a whole lot less time then I have."

It was almost an addition or the closest thing Logan would ever get out of the boy. Logan simply nodded in agreement with Zack. "She's very special."

Both men fell silent and turned back to their drinks. This time it wasn't funny. Neither of them was comfortable with where the conversation had gone. Both were extremely worried about Max for different reasons.

"Hey Cale you look like you could use a re-fill." Zack offered. Both men had considerably slowed down the speed they were drinking at. 

Logan blinked forty ounces or so of wine was pushing his limit. He was bleary eyed and glad (most likely for the first time since he'd landed back in it) glad for the wheel chair because he already had a place to sit down. He'd be the first to admit he was a little bit more then loopy. 

"What happened to Wonder boy? No Mr. Military I think I'll hold off for a little while."

"What's amatter Wonder boy can't keep up?"

"Not with you Mr. Military. With all you're supped up genetically enhanced higher tolerance to alcohol."

Zack nodded. "I'll drink to that." So he chugged again. "I'll have to remember to thank Lydecker for that next time I run into the bastard. I'd think a drunken soldier would make a sloppy one so he upped our tolerances. It was more for field missions and recognizance when we got older. That way we could get a threat drunk and still be all right enough to pump him for information." Zack grinned like a fool babbling. 

Logan grinned. "Again I'm amazed at the pure miracle of Manticore technology. A genetically enhanced supper drinker. What a marvel of modern science."

"Hey watch it Wonder boy." Zack snapped.

"Or what you're going to knock me out of my chair Mr. Military, puh-lease." Logan sipped at his drink.

Zack smirked. "Try me Wonder boy. If you ever hurt Max make no mistake about it you'll be dealing directly with me."

"Sounds like a threat." Logan answered. 

"No it's a promise Wonder boy remember Max belonged to me first. She always will."

Logan got really angry really fast he really did hate this boy. He leaned over and gave it all he had socking Zack square in the nose.

Zack rubbed his nose which had started to bleed.

"You hit me!" Zack sounded surprised.

"Yup, I did." Logan looked pleased.

"I guess I asked for that."

"You did."

"But you hit me!"

"Right."

"And it hurt"

"Really?" It was Logan's turn to look surprised.

"Yes. Can I hit you back?"

"Don't ask stupid questions Zack."

"What happened to Mr. Military?" Zack asked slugging from the bottle again to dull the throbbing in his nose. "It fits me to a tee. I'm a soldier it's all I'm ever capable of being."

"Right and I'm the all mighty Wonder boy." Logan looked down at his legs then up at Zack and started to laugh then found he couldn't stop. Zack joined in too. Their laughter was only broken by the occasional utterance of Mr. Military or Wonder boy followed by more laughter. As well as Zack getting up to help himself to a third bottle to dull the throbbing in his nose.

*

Max had made it back to the Towers a whole lot slower then it had taken her to get to the checkpoint. Her head was spinning and she felt down right miserable. She was glad she was finally back because it was getting difficult to maneuver her babe because her vision was getting blurry. She planed to stroll in through the door ignoring both men and head straight to the guestroom, lock the door and go to sleep. She hovered outside the door making sure she wasn't heading into hostile territory. She listened outside the door and all she heard was the sound of both men laughing. It made her angry. Both men originally enemies had found a common ground in the short time she was gone in order to be able to really laugh together. They'd grown close enough to laugh and Max could smell the stench of wine, the room reeked of it even through the door. They had been drinking and they found whatever it was funny. It wasn't funny, nothing could be that funny when she felt this bad. They were laughing and it made her angry. They were laughing ... that meant Zack was laughing. 

Zack was laughing! In all her life she had never heard her CO laugh. Never. She'd hardly even ever seen him grin let alone outright smile. The fact that Logan had been the one to break down all of Zack's walls only served to make her angrier. Or maybe she was jealous she had never been able to make him laugh, but then again she had never gone and gotten Zack drunk either. Her head was spinning. The fever in her system was kicking in full force again. It almost felt like she was in heat but she knew she wasn't due. Max was angry at both of them. They were drunk and it was not at all becoming of either of them. 

"Wonder boy will you shut you yap for like two seconds I swear I heard something." Zack insisted.

"Sure thing Mr. Military I guess I have to trust those supper ears." Logan fell silent.

"Shhhhh." Zack snapped there it was again.

Max walked confidently into the apartment then. There was no use in waiting any longer. If Zack heard her then they knew she was there anyway. 

"Max!" Logan who was facing the door saw her first.

"Take a seat Wonder boy." Zack pushed Logan back in order to help himself up. "Maxie."

"Fall in line Mr. Military." Logan ordered Zack as he rolled his wheel chair over his foot.

Max couldn't help herself and she started to laugh. When the sound broke out of her mouth the penthouse started to spin. Maybe it was the stench of alcohol. Maybe it was the overwhelming emotional freedom that came with laughing openly in front of them both. Or maybe it really was just the fever. The world spun and faded to black as the floor rushed up to meet a now unconscious Max.

*

Max burst through the door and stumbled into the room. Both men got up and moved to go to her bickering a bit. Then she laughed sounding like the drunk and delirious one in the bunch. Two more steps with a giddy grin and she fell to the floor. Both men froze and the bickering stopped. A moment later Zack's slower then normal X-5 reflexes kicked in and she joined her in that position. He hadn't meant to of course but the drinking had taken its toll on him. He jumped up to try and catch Max and tripped over the coffee table in his haste landing flat on his face. Logan laughed despite the serious turn the days events had suddenly take. Zack got up and dusted himself off acting as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. As soon as he was back on his feet he was at Max's side in a heartbeat. 

"I doubt your in any condition to carry her." Logan pointed out rolling up next to Zack as he tried to pick Max up.

"That's why you're taking he into the guestroom." Zack was man enough to know when he needed help, he'd just never ask for it. He scooped Max up off the floor and deposited her in Logan's lap.

"Oomph!" Logan groaned and held on to Max as Zack pushed him into the guestroom. "She's heavy."

Zack laughed because Max would have never let Logan get away with that if she was awake. Then he was all seriousness very quickly. "She feels hot. Hotter even then when she's in heat." Zack sounded worried. "Worse even then yesterday."

"I'm going to call Bling." Logan reassured him.

"You do that." Zack looked worried and then the good old Manticore mask he always carried around fell back into place. He was still not coordinated from the drinking he had done but he'd sobered up in thought anyway. He was back to being the levelheaded soldier at least for the moment. 

While Logan was on the phone with Bling requesting that his friend bring over a bunch of bags of ice, Zack listened in on both sides of the conversation. The second Bling heard Max was still sick he promised to rush over. He also suggested that Logan call one of the doctors with the informant net to help her. Bling suggested that he try and find Hanna first and then use a back up doctor from the net. At least someone was thinking clearly. 

Zack bristled at the thought. They didn't need anyone else's help right now. They only needed to lower Max's core body temperature for the time being. It would be just like that time Zack saw the doctors pack her in ice before Lydecker came in to visit Max in the infirmary. She'd had a really bad fever then. It was simple. No outside help was needed for that. Zack would tell Logan that once he got off the phone. For now Zack pulled a chair up to the bedside and turning it backwards he straddled it in order to hold Max's hand and talk to her. He'd seen Lydecker do it when Max was in the infirmary and he honestly didn't care if Max could hear him, it was making him feel better. Forgetting for a moment the weakness associated with showing emotions. It was only Max and besides she couldn't see him anyway. 

Right now Max was all that mattered in the world. Her hand was so cold in comparison to the rest of her body. It really scared Zack so much more then anything had in a long time. Along with everything that happened over the past two days and the story she had told him about that thing in her head nothing was looking very good. Holding Max's hand with her being sick made Zack's mind wander back to their shared past. He thought about the first time that he kissed her. He saw her the time she had been in the infirmary with that awful fever when even Lydecker had been worried. He saw flashes of every time Manticore had ever hurt her and tried to close his eyes against the memories. It didn't help any and only served to make his cheeks wet and his shoulders shake. He was in the same state he had been the first time he'd kissed Max. Zack was crying. 

Logan had finally gotten off of the phone with Bling and if asked he would have been the first to admit that the drinking he had done had really taken its toll on him. He stopped halfway down the hallway to watch Zack with Max. On Zack's face was a mixture of a sense of duty, devotion, protection, infatuation, brotherly love, fear and hopelessness. Then Zack closed his eyes and broke down and cried holding tightly to Max's hand. Zack was crying Logan couldn't have moved if he wanted to. It was a shock. Maybe it was the wine. Before today he had never seen Mr. Military crack a smile let alone laugh. Now he had lost all reserve and broke down and cried openly. Although he didn't know anyone was watching him so he wasn't really exposing himself. Maybe he really did love his surrogate sister and maybe Logan didn't care. Maybe he saw Zack as a bigger threat now then before. 

Logan came up behind Zack and put a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort and calm the boy down. Bad move. Startled and felling completely venerable and on the defense Zack jumped up and reached back to fend off his would be attacker. Zack had been so lost that he hadn't even heard Logan come into the room. Startled he tried to jump up as he reached backwards but only succeeded in having the chair topple over and land him in Logan's lap. The commander of the X-5's gapped up at Logan startled frustrated and embarrassed, unable to move for a moment. He sputtered and said something that Logan didn't catch, "I wasn't crying!" jumped up and righted the chair then fled the room.

"I think I could use that third bottle." Zack mumbled this time loud enough for Logan to hear as he fled down the hallway.

Logan laughed he just couldn't help himself and at the same time felt bad for the poor boy. No matter, he'd let Zack be and do his thing in the other room. For the time being it gave him some alone time with Max. He maneuvered his chair around Zack's abandoned chair and situated himself near the head of the bed taking Max's hand into his own. 

Love was a bad thing at least for all of the X-5's Zack thought miserably to himself. It was turning him insane. Maybe that was what had gone wrong with the X-2's they had all learned to love and gone insane. Love hurt and love could kill. He chugged from the bottle and thought of all the love that had taken away his siblings. Eva's love and devotion for her little sister. Brin and her love for life had taken her back to Manticore. Tinga and her marriage. Now Jace and her baby and Manticore run relationship. Love never seemed to go very well. Maybe love was just a waste of energy, a senseless emotion, especially if it always lead to something bad. Maybe giving in to false sentimentality would make Zack insane and lead to his demise as well. If that was the case he wasn't willing to bring Max down with him. 

"Can I get a little help here Zack?" Bling's voice interrupted Zack's train of thought as he struggled through the open door and juggled the bags of ice he held.

Zack jumped and cursed himself. That was two people who had managed to sneak up on him in the last few minuets. Zack pried himself away from the couch and the bottle and took half of Bling's load carrying it into the guest room. 

Bling expertly surrounded Max with bags of ice he really did seem to know what he was doing. All around her body, under her neck, in her armpits and one on her stomach. Then they waited. Zack went back to the couch and the bottle while Logan and Bling discussed what to do next. Half an hour or so passed and Max's eyes fluttered. She grinned weakly up at Logan.

"Hi." Max croaked out sleepily.

"Hi yourself." Logan smiled.

"I wanna be your everything Mr. Eyes Only." Max blurted out.

"Huh?" Logan was taken by surprise.

"I was ridding my babe and I realized I love you." Max nodded her eyes rolling back in her head which lulled to the side. 

Logan was sure she was delirious, she looked it and besides their relationship had never been like that. Oh who was he kidding? Logan was happier then a kid in a candy store. Could she really mean it? Should he tell her how he really felt? "I love you-"

"Where's Zack?" Max suddenly started to cry. "He's going to hate me forever when I tell him."

"Well me what?" Zack snapped his speech slurred he'd been listening the whole time and didn't have the stomach to hear it again. "That you love wonder boy?" It pained Zack even to say it. 

"That's not why your going to hate me." Max shook her head stubbornly her voice sounding much like the young soldier Zack used to know.

"What then." Zack snapped running his had through his hair. "What is it Maxie?"

"Don't call me Maxie." Max sat up.

"Max, then what is it?" Zack crossed his arms across his chest and stood glaring down at her. 

"I love you Zack."

Logan blanched and began to choke. He coughed mainly because he was surprised to hear her say that. It hurt to hear her say it. Maybe she really was delirious and maybe next she'd be telling Bling how much she loved him. That would have made everything all right. 

Zack beamed. "I love you too Maxie."

This time Max let the nickname slide she was crying too hard to put up a fight. "I've loved you since we were kids Zack. You've always been the best biggest brother to me. So good to me. Sneaking me treats and extra food and always protecting me. I love you for it." She made a face. "It's so damn hard though. It's not fair really. The person I've loved for so long finally to love me back when I realize I love someone else just as much." Tears cascaded down her face and she was convulsing again this time from sobs and shivers. Maybe she really was delirious she couldn't even tell where she was. "And now you're going to hate me!"

"Stop saying that Max. Nothing could ever make me hate you. I've seen you at your worst. Nothing." Zack took her had reassuring her.

"But it will." Max nodded insisting. That stubborn child who knew she wasn't just a soldier who knew she was more then just a number and deserved a name that Zack knew so well was back again. 

"Just tell me Maxie. I promise I won't run." Zack said making the hand signal the used for trust.

"Promise you won't hate me Zack." Max insisted closing her eyes as the tears flowed again. "I need to tell you before;" She stifled a yawn, "before I go back to sleep."

"I promise Max just tell me." Zack gave her hand a little squeeze.

"Yes sir." Max who had struggled to sit up hung her head. "Manticore didn't get Ben."

"They didn't? You've seen him?" Zack's eyes grew a little bit wider.

Logan's jaw dropped. Ben may have stopped communicating with Zack, but Zack didn't know! He backed up rolling out of harms way and motioned for Bling to do the same. Bling came to stand next to Logan looking confused again. 

"You're going to hate me Zack forever and then leave me or punish me like you did with Brin but worse. Oh so much worse. What she did to me after Ash died was nothing." Max bit her lip and batted her eyes trying to stay awake. 

Zack had no idea what Max was trying to get at but obviously it was tearing her apart. Better to just get it out and deal with it. 

"Tell me Max." It came out as a harshly growled order that Zack had not intended but it worked.

"You won't be mad?"

Zack simply shook his head no and squeezed her hand again. 

"Okay. I'll tell you. I saw Ben-"

"That's great. I don't know what it is about all of you and Seattle-"

"Zack listen to me. I saw Ben. He went nuts. He turned into a nomie. He was killing people and tattooing his barcode on them. Chasing them down like that convict in the woods. Each one repenting for a sin to the Blue Lady." Max was ranting trying to get the whole horrid story out.

"I know and I remember. I've been trying to find him and put a stop to it. Then it stopped on it's own before I could catch up to him. I thought Lydecker got him but I guess that Ben just came to his senses." Zack nodded. What else could explain the killings stopping?

"There's more." Max said in an almost sing song tone of voice. She'd calmed down for the time being. She took a deep breath. "Ben's dead." The tears began to flow again. 

"Lydecker!" Zack growled.

"No me." Max winched and she was crying hysterically now and close to babbling. "I need to tell you before I die, before they break me or I forget or I-"

"You're not going to die Max." Bling spoke up saying what the other three hoped would be true.

"I killed him Zack. My own brother with my own hands. Just like Ash all over again but for real. Don't punish me like you did Brin. Don't let them lock me down with the nomies. Commander Lydecker is going to be so mad. He's going to yell at me. I had to do it though don't you see? I couldn't let them take him back. There were just so many soldiers and helicopters and we had a fight because I wanted him to stop killing and Ben didn't want to stop. I took him by surprise and broke his leg with that slide move of mine. I just wanted to let the father get away. I wasn't going to be able to get out of there carrying Ben. We would have both been sent back and Ben said he didn't want that. He told me I had to go. He begged me not to let them take him back and not let myself get caught. So I asked him to tell me about the good place."

"Where no one yells at you and in the morning you can stay in bed as long as you want." Zack grinned and joined in with Max but Max cut Zack off there.

"And then I snapped his neck." Max was so hysterical she couldn't say anything else. All the apologies she had planned drifted away in a sea of tears. She may not have been able to talk about Ben but between sobs she begged not to be locked in the basement, not to be left with the nomies, and not to be reprimanded. Zack was certain she thought she was in the barracks.

Zack held her hand. "You did the right thing soldier no one is going to reprimand you for it. I won't let them."

Max nodded wide-eyed and cried herself back to sleep clinging to Zack and begging him not to leave her. Once she was asleep Zack leaned over and kissed her softly on the forehead. "You did good Maxie. You saved Ben from going back to hell. You sent him to the good place where the nomalies can't get him and no one will hurt him ever again. I couldn't possibly be mad at you for that little sister."

Zack was up on his feet then tears in his eyes that he quickly blinked away. He started passing the room and smacking his fist into the palm of his hand.

"Zack." Logan turned to him.

"Save it Wheel-boy it is my fault. I should have been there. I failed him not Max. Hell I failed her too." He continued passing and smacking. 

"Zack what are you doing?" Logan asked.

"Calming down." Zack growled. "There's nothing I can hit in here without breaking something expensive and I don't need Max getting mad at me over something like that." Sometimes honesty was truly the best policy. 

"Be my guest if it will help you, just don't choose me." Logan said. Zack still owed him for that shot in the nose earlier. 

Zack wrinkled his nose and raised a hand to it as he passed. "I do owe you one."

"Oh no." Logan shook his head he couldn't believe he'd said that. He'd just given Zack permission to wreck the place; it must have been the wine.

"Don't worry Wonder boy the wine helps a little" Zack was oddly calmer then he normally would have been about the situation. Maybe it was the wine or maybe the way he felt about Max was softening him already. 

"I know Max felt horrible about Ben-"Logan started to apologize for Max.

"Argh." Zack growled and snapped lashing out at the nearest wall with all his might. 

Bling flinched wide-eyed and looked to Logan then the wall and then moved to stop the destructive force. 

"Bling let him go." Logan couldn't believe that he said it but he'd rather have to fix a wall then see Bling, one of his closest friends, get broken.

Zack pounded the wall putting neat little hole after neat little hole into the wall. He went at it with everything he had. Instead of fifty little holes when he was done it looked like only one big one. The hole was exposing a beam that Zack turned and punched as well cracking it in half but not splitting it. Exhausted mentally and physically he collapsed against what was left of the wall he had attacked. His knuckles were bloody, torn and bruised. They were swelling and becoming stiff. The world was simply going to utter chaos around him. For the second time in less then and hour Zack broke down and cried. That made the number of times he'd ever cried still countable on only both his hands. Max had made him into a complete and total emotional wreck. Logan and Bling tried to sneak out of the room.

"Hey Cale." At least Zack wasn't hysterical enough not to be able to speak but just shedding a few very unmanly tears. "If you're leaving you want to bring me back that bottle?"

Logan nodded maybe that was just what the boy needed some booze and a good rest. Logan left and then brought back the bottle. 

"Thanks." Zack took a swig out of the bottle. "How bout I finish this while you try and find me another one. When I'm done I'll come out and we can figure out how to help Maxie."

Logan simply agreed and left the room to let Zack calm down. He came back a few minuets later to find Zack in the same spot. The bottle of wine empty and on the floor next to him. Zack himself was leaning up against the wall fast asleep. Logan left him there. He helped Bling pack Max in ice again. She didn't feel any cooler to either man yet which could only be taken as a bad sign/ So Logan and Bling left the room to discuss what there next move would be if this didn't work and let the two sleeping X-5's lie. 


	4. Your Love is Like Bad Medicine

****

AN: Yay! Yes I know its about time I got this posted. I soon have a 5-day vacation from college so the 2 more chapters that I have written up should be typed up and posted around or after Thanksgiving. (Time and work pending) Thank you for being patient with me. I hope some of you are still looking forward to this and I get some nice reviews. I just need to know that people are still reading and interested in this fic. I'll try and post faster but with 2 jobs and going to school full time it's tough. I apologize that this took so long, but here it is.

Zack woke up a bit groggily. The drinking had made him lazy. The emotional strain had had made him tired. It was well into the night before Zack woke up and Max was still out cold. Zack's head was pounding and his mouth was dry. It was intolerable for Zack to let himself get into such a state. He was very angry with himself now and still a tad drunk even after his nap. Zack pulled himself up off of the floor and stumbled into the computer room to talk to Logan. All the way down the hallway he scolded himself for being careless and lazy. He knew he needed to pull himself together for Max's sake. There was only one way for a soldier to pull himself together to simply suck up whatever was bothering him and push on. As children they had always been told, 'suck it up soldier be tough' whenever anything went wrong. Sickness, pain, disappointment, failure, death, everything. Once he reached the computer room Zack knew what he had to do. Suck it up, ignore his problems and get himself back into shape.

Bling was in the kitchen and Logan was on some sort of video conferencing call on the computer so neither of them noticed Zack. It didn't bother him in the least right now. Zack was focused on his mission and for the moment it consisted simply of a combination of self-induced punishment and the necessary conditioning needed to pull himself back into shape. Pushups had always been his favorite exercise they were easy to do and always helped to clear his mind. At his peak Zack had been able to do three hundred at one clip. Now he was determined to challenge himself. Zack hit the ground and started doing pushups and for the moment nothing else mattered except counting up one, up two and so on. Zack was determined to break his previous record.

Logan squinted at the information in front of him it had taken hours but he'd finally managed to locate where Hannah had relocated to. It was mildly ironic. He found Hannah in Mexico actually supervising and looking over Jace during her pregnancy. Logan was connected to Hannah via a secure encrypted line over the informant net's video imaging system. It was the same way he had used to contact Lydecker a few times only there was no anonymousness about who either of them were this time. Bling went into the kitchen to make himself and Logan a meal to refuel for what lied ahead of them. Logan barely noticed when Zack stumbled into the room and dropped to the ground doing pushups. The only thing he was sure about the X-5's was that they always had strange ways of dealing with their problems. Zack's way of dealing with his problems always seemed to deal with physical punishment which he forced upon himself.

"Come on Hannah bring Jace with you if you feel more comfortable that way but I still think you'd be compromising her safety." Logan pleaded with the woman on the other end. "I've got a very sick X-5 on my hands."

On her side of the video screen Hannah stood up so that she could see past Logan. "He doesn't look very sick to me."

Logan shook his head. "No not that one." He paused he didn't want to give away Max's identity even though he knew the line was secure. To say Max's name just felt wrong somehow. "A female. The one that you helped the night of the escape."

"Max is sick?" Hannah bit her bottom lip and Logan winched slightly. "You know she saved my life once."

"Yes I do." Logan nodded.

"You're harboring two of them." Hannah shook her head. "God help you."

"It's only for the time being until she's up on her feet again." Logan explained.

"She's really that bad?" Hannah looked truly troubled. "Well I can't bring Jace into that kind of an environment it's too risky. I'll get someone to watch over her while I'm gone but it might take a few days for me to get everything in order and then to reach you."

"As soon as you can would be great." Logan nodded in agreement.

Zack heard scattered pieces of the conversation only the important things. Hannah, Jace, baby, Max and a few scattered other terms. Though nothing had made him stop doing his pushups yet. Not yet.

Hannah beamed for the moment. "I'd love to see two more of my children. It's been such a joy getting to know Jace again. Look at me." It was an order directed at Zack who didn't comply.

Zack saw Hannah but couldn't look up to face her. He saw her through the memories her voice invoked as he did his pushups. He was already seeing Lydecker in his face drill sergeant style. 'Up thirty-eight. Up thirty-nine. What are you made of soldier? Faster, up forty,' and so on. Slowly Lydecker faded away to visions of Hannah. The watcher in the nursery. The gentile doctor who did no harm. A kind reassuring smile when you came to for the brief first moment you opened your eyes. A strong comforting hand on a shoulder when one was writhing and whimpering in pain. Always the healer and never the inflictor of pain.

"Snap out of that horror soldier and look at me. Come on. Oh this will be fun, you want me to guess, huh? This should be easy. Jack and Ash were terminated. Alex, Shane and Blake were recaptured and reprogrammed after the escape. Luca and Jake were K.I.A. during the escape. That leaves me with exactly six boys to deal with. You're too big to be Krit or Locke. There's too harsh of a look in your eye to be Ben or Jessie. That means you have to be either the leader they look to for extreme guidance or the leader they came to with all their fears and troubles. Zack or Zane." She stopped when she noticed she had finally gotten through to him on some level.

Zack had stopped doing his set of pushups and began to pace the length of the room taking in all of this new information. "Stop!" He screamed out. "I don't like guessing games."

"What is your designation soldier? Lets see if I remember them all." Hannah challenged him.

Zack remained silent.

"Come on it's not a hard question. It's not a hard answer either son, only twelve numbers. Don't tell me you've forgotten. That's impossible X-5's are like elephants they never forget. It's not in your genetic make up what with that photographic memory of yours. Come on spin around so that I can see the back of your neck." Hannah coaxed him.

Belligerently Zack continued to pace the room as Logan watched him and waited.

Hannah took a deep breath and suddenly the kind face Logan had seen faded and hardened. Something in her eyes changed, she squared her shoulders and put on her game face. She responded in a stern voice that reminded Logan of the tone Lydecker used. "Stand at attention and address me soldier. I repeat, state your designation."

Zack stopped and turned to face the computer screen. He stood at attention with his arms at his side and his heals touching. "Ma'am my designation is 330417291599, Ma'am." Zack barked his reply.

Hannah smiled. "X5-599. Zack. You haven't changed much son."

"I am not nor will I ever be your son Hannah." Zack snapped.

"Cornel Lydecker would be pleased with you as well." She grinned dropping the stern act.

"None of us were ever his children." Zack spat out with contempt.

"You were in his eyes." She insisted.

"His eyes see the world in a very convoluted light." Zack rebutted.

Logan smiled Zack was much more intelligent then he had given the boy credit for and he was nothing if not persistent.

"I need to speak with Jace." Zack sounded like he was the one issuing the orders now.

"She's sleeping right now." Hannah answered.

"Wake her."

"I can't. There's her health and the baby to think of. She needs her rest."

"I need to talk to her." Zack insisted.

"Logan has her number now and I have his. She'll get it touch with you or you can get in touch with her, but I will not compromise her health to respond to your whim. Logan I'll get there as soon as I can. Zack I'll talk to you then." Then Hannah cut off the communication and the screen went blank.

Zack swore and pounded the desk in front of him. Logan was a bit taken aback.

"Are you hungry Zack?" Logan turned to him.

Zack simply shrugged.

"Let's not start this again. Come on I'll make us dinner."

Zack followed Logan into the kitchen where they found Bling still making his snack.

"Forget it Bling." Logan smiled at his friend. "I'm just going to start dinner."

Bling and Zack sat at the table while Logan went to work making dinner. Max stumbled into the room and slumped down into the chair next to Bling.

"I'm hungry." She ignored both men explicitly. "Can you make me something Bling?"

Bling nodded. "Sure Max." He got up and finished making the sandwich he had started to make for himself earlier and placed it down in front of Max.

"Thanks Bling." Max sat down and devoured the sandwich.

"Max Logan found Hannah with Jace so we can get you the help you need." Zack said to her, he was just used to briefing people on what went on in their absence.

It was like he didn't exist. Max didn't even bat an eyelash. She chose the sandwich over the wonderful concoction that Logan was whipping up. It was as if neither man existed to her.

Zack grew extremely angry extremely fast and jumped up from the table getting right up in Max's face. "Acknowledge and address me soldier. This is insubordination."

Max didn't even flinch her sandwich finished now. She yawned. "Can I have a glass of milk?"

Logan got one for Max who simply ignored it. Bling got up shaking his head and hiding a smile to get her another one, one she would accept. It happened as Bling opened the refrigerator. Zack could smell it coming on a subtle chemical change in the air. Zack stood up and put a hand on Max's shoulder.

"Drink it." Zack ordered her pulling out his own bottle of Typtophan out of his pocket. "Drink it down with four of these Max if anything do it to help yourself." Max pulled away from the hand on her shoulder. "No. I don't need your help. You're part of the problem." The familiar twinge was at the base of skull and her hands started to twitch.

"Just do it soldier!" Zack barked.

Max ignored him. Max tried to ignore him but she was just too scared. She took the glass of milk in shaky hands spilling some of it down the front of the shirt she wore. Too little, too late. Max flew into a full-blown seizure completely spilling the glass of milk that shattered on the floor. She jumped out of the chair and curled up into a ball on the floor under the table hugging her knees to her chest. She was crying again.

"Logan, Bling get in here." Zack commanded as he joined Max under the table wrapping himself around her for security forcing a handful of the pills into her mouth. "Swallow them Max."

Logan and Bling froze in the doorway. Bling tried to lighten the moment and blurted out the first thing that came to his mind.

"Hey Max there's no reason to cry over spilt milk."

Logan shot his friend a dirty look. Max who was completely unresponsive to Zack or anyone at this time let the pills drop from her mouth on to the floor. She snapped at his hand biting him and trying to pull away from him. Zack's bottle of typtophan had fallen to the floor when he moved to cradle Max and this is what she went for now as he snarled and looked down at his injured hand. Two semi-circles of small red welts covered it Max had broken through his skin. She swallowed a handful of pills on her own and then passed out landing in Zack's lap. Zack cradle her in his arms and brought her back into the guest bedroom. He then stormed back out into the main room to confront Logan.

"This is ridiculous. She's hotter then normal. Normal body temperature is 102.5 for us. When we're in heat our body temperatures rises to around 105 degrees. A normal person starts to develop brain damage between 107-108 degrees. We might begin to experience brain damage at around 111-112 degrees and Max has got to steadily be climbing to that now. We can't wait these two or three days for Hannah to get here Logan we need to do something about this now." Zack said sternly.

Logan was impressed with what he knew and he didn't think Zack had been listening that closely when he was speaking with Hannah.

"He's right about the temperature thing." Bling spoke up.

Logan yawned. He was too tired to deal with this right now. "We'll deal with this in the morning, unlike you I do need to sleep."

"I'm going to go home then." Bling said.

"Stay on the couch incase Max needs you I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight." Zack insisted.

Bling looked to Logan for permission. "It's fine with me." Logan yawned again. "I'm going to bed you two do what you want." Logan went into his own bedroom.

Bling took his place on the couch and Zack passed the room. Soon Bling was out cold. Zack went into the guest room to check on Max. She seemed to be sleeping comfortably. Her temperature was definitely still high. There was a small red bump at the back of her neck just above her barcode but there seemed to be nothing else physically wrong with her. He was tempted to wake her just to talk but most likely she wouldn't talk to him anyway and would be angry with him so he left her to sleep. He walked past a lightly snoring Bling back into the computer room.

Zack had to do something he couldn't just sit ideally by and do nothing knowing that Max was suffering. The space needle was a great spot to spend a night leave it to Max to find it but Zack had done too much thinking already and it was time to take action. To take matters into his own hands. He sat down in front of Logan's computer and after cracking a few simple codes he had free range of the machine. He did a file search for Red's and probe and waited for the machine to respond. It was times like this he missed his siblings most. Syl was much better with computers then he was and this would have gone much quicker with her help. A few files were returned from the search. One was a document of Logan's notes on Max's account of the incident. Another was a schematic of the mechanism itself. There was yet another document on the Reds who they were and details on their mission and why they thought they needed and X-5 or had thought they did. The final file was the most intriguing and turned out to be the most helpful.

It was a document file with a name address and a phone number. The information was on a man named Sebastian. A very intelligent man according to the information in the file. This man was Zack's only hope for the moment. Zack threw caution to the wind and hooked up a cable hacked conference call hoping that he didn't wake the man.

"Logan?" The man who answered the call appeared on the screen. It was obvious that he recognized the secure FTP as belonging to Logan.

"No this is an." Zack paused, "An acquaintance of Logan's. My name is Zack and I was wondering-"

"Zack. Commander of the X-5's. Coordinator of the escape. I know about you."

"Maybe that's good for me. Max is sick. I need to know what you do about the Reds and the probe in her head."

The probe was deactivated. I supervised it myself."

Zack continued to fill Sebastian in on what had been happening to Max. How Logan thought Hannah could fix it all and how serious he thought the situation was. At first Sebastian told Zack more or less only the information that he had gotten from Logan's files. Then he became more open telling Zack that he had supervised the removal of a few probes but that all the subjects had been dead or were by the time the procedure was over. He went on to tell Zack that the probe tied in to the possessor's central nervous stem it was almost certainly suicide to remove it. There had only been one successful removal done by the probe's designer himself and still the subject retained a significant amount of brain damage.

Zack perked up as much as Zack could. "X5's can suffer a considerable amount of brain damage and regenerate the damaged calls but it does take about two weeks."

"Logan would be against it."

"Logan doesn't have a say. We're talking about Max's life."

"Zack I understand and that's what worries me. It's not an advisable course of action."

"I think her body is trying to reject it." Zack said offhandedly almost to himself.

"What?"

Zack explained about the bump on the back of Max's neck just above her barcode. "Is that possible?"

"With a normal person no with an X5 who knows. She'll be fine until Hannah gets there unless her eyes start to bleed."

"What would that mean?"

"Bad news. It would mean that the probe has been reactivated."

"So then who made the probe? I need to know on the off chance that we need to contact him."

Sebastian gave Zack the information he had on the probe's creator. Zack thanked him and committed it all to memory. When he ended the communication her felt eyes on his back. Zack spun and for a second saw a young version of Max then he blinked and she was gone. No one was watching him and he was left alone helpless again with an empty night ahead of him. He decided to cruse through some of Eyes Only's files to kill time. For a brief moment he entertained finding another bottle of wine but quickly dismissed the idea. If Jace had been asleep earlier chances were that she was awake now so Zack poked around in the files determined to talk to her searching for Hannah's number. Then Zack heard someone clear his or her throat behind him apparently someone had been watching him.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Zack didn't have to turn around to know that the voice belonged to Logan.

"Couldn't sleep could you Eyes Only? Well welcome to the nocturnal insomniacs club." Zack smirked.

"I'm worried about Max but you didn't answer my question."

"I was looking for something to help Max."

"By breaking into my personal files?" Logan sounded very irate.

"You thought a few simple algorithms and easy words could keep a trained person out?"

"You're not just a trained person Zack. You're and X5, quicker, more agile, more intelligent. No hacker has ever been able to break into my system. For the record I don't appreciate this."

"Dually noted." Zack nodded and smirked.

"Find anything useful?" Logan asked.

"Well I read everything you had on the Red series and the probe and I talked to Sebastian."

"You called Sebastian?"

"Yes."

"What did he have to say?"

"Nothing your files didn't say at first. Then he told me who made the probe because he was the only person to ever successfully remove the probe from a person who survived the procedure. Just now I decided that I was going to find Hannah's number because I felt like talking and most likely Jace is awake. She might know about the situation through Hannah and I didn't want to bring anyone new in on it. This is already a precarious situation. I wanted to keep people on a need to know basis and since she most likely already knows." Zack shrugged.

Logan nodded. He understood Zack to a point but he did not like the invasion in to his privacy. He wasn't even sure he could be mad at the confused X5 right now. "Next time you want something out of my files just ask. To get Hannah you have to dial the international access code 011 then put in the country code of 52 then dial 114-2-11-00 She lives in San Jose. I wouldn't call her if I were you. It might make her progress here slow down and if you make her mad at you I wouldn't want to be you once she gets here."

"Hannah never got very angry at least not violent angry not like Lydecker. Never like him. I could handle her angry." Zack said softly remembering suddenly that Bling was in the room. "Don't wake Bling."

Logan was dumbfounded by the X5's complete 180-degree turnaround from militaristic hard-minded soldier to a worried person and a caring brother.

"What did you need to know about Josenhas for?" Logan asked still half-awake.

"Incase Hannah doesn't make it in time or if she finds out she can't do anything." Zack turned to Logan with the gleam of a true soldier in his eyes. "Always have a backup plan."

Logan nodded softly her had failed to do that, leave it to the CO of the X5's to point that out to him.

"I'm not about to sit idly by and watch Max die." Zack said bluntly.

"Neither am I that's why I brought Hannah in."

Zack shook his head. "That was your first mistake. Hannah has tired to turn Max in to Manticore before. Even worse she tired to give her up to Lydecker."

"She's helping out Jace; I'd like to think she's changed."

"Soldiers never change."

"Hannah wasn't a soldier she was a doctor."

"She was a military doctor. She had the heart of a soldier; doctor or not she still answered to Manticore." Zack insisted.

"Just hold off on calling Jace until the morning." Logan urged Zack.

"All right I'll concede. Family reunions can wait. Max comes first as always."

"You've been a good big brother to her." Logan said emphasis on the big brother part.

If Zack caught his meaning he chose to ignore it. "I try for all of them. We can only hope that Hannah gets here soon."

"Amen to that."

Soon after that Logan went back to bed. They had never bothered the sleeping Bling, which left Zack alone with the darkness of the night and the darkness of his own rampant thoughts.

In the morning Max continued to sleep only not as soundly. Zack's superior hearing tore him away from the breakfast Logan had prepared numerous times due to the fitfulness he sleeping patterns had taken on. Max wasn't seizing and she clearly wasn't in any real distress but she definitely wasn't very comfortable. Zack sat by her side holding her hand through a particularly bad spell. Max tossed and turned throwing her head this way and that her body writhing in pain. It was her painful whimpering that had drawn Zack to her side. Eventually whatever daemons were chasing her for the moment backed off and she returned to a calm light sleep. Zack felt confident enough to be able to leave her for the time being and returned to Bling and Logan.

"How is she?" Bling asked.

"No change really but she's resting comfortably for now." Zack answered his mind on other things and completely gone from breakfast now. "Hey Cale can you connect me to Hannah's number now? I really need to speak with Jace. I just wasn't to see that she's okay for myself and if anyone can restore my faith in Hannah it would be her."

"I guess it would. It's that whole stick with your own kind, stay with your own kind type of thing."

"Not exactly. Jace was a good soldier when I knew her. If anyone could tell that a person was deceitful around her it would be Jace. She was very good with telling what people were like from their personalities and body language. If Hannah's rotten Jace will know." Zack nodded. Hannah's lack of letting him talk with Jace was making him suspicious.

"Alright let me set it up for you." Logan abandoned his own breakfast and manned the computer in order to get a secure like with Hannah so that Zack could talk with Jace.

"Jace is sleeping." Hannah answered Logan. "I'm going to head out to your place as soon as I have someone to stay with Jace."

"This is ridiculous Hannah put Jace on the line or else I'll be forced to believe that she's not really with you." Zack stepped up behind Logan putting it all on the line for Hannah.

Hannah sighed. "All right Zack hold on."

A few moments later a woman clad in all black, her stomach protruding slightly at the waistline with a slightly oriental completion and looks to her face and long pins straight black hair took the seat previously occupied by Hannah. She was beautiful.

"Jace is it really you?" Zack asked his voice cracking a bit.

The woman twisted around in her seat and exposed the barcode on the back of her neck. The numbers confirming what Zack had asked.

"You look great little sister."

"It's good to see you too big brother." She said with tears brimming in her eyes.

Zack was momentarily gone. Wide trusting eyes set far back in a face topped by a shaved head stared back at him. Falling back into the hallway frozen against a wall as he gave the order to continue onward. Frozen by fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of breaking orders. Fear of chaos and the outside world. "Jace." Zack allowed himself to smile.

"Yes Zack?"

Are you alone?"

"In the room, yes." Jace nodded her confirmation and allowed the camera to pan across the room behind her.

"What do you think?" Was all Zack needed to ask.

Jace understood completely. "I trust her Zack. She's shown me no deception only nurturing. She's the watcher we used to know."

"No contact with the enemy?"

"None and I've been watching."

Zack nodded. "That's good. How are you doing Jace?"

"I miss Hector." Jace frowned slightly her hands coming to rest on her stomach.

"Understood." Zack frowned slightly but nodded. He really did understand from what Max had put him through lately. "Other then that?"

"I'm sick almost every day and more tired then I've ever been. I know what true exhaustion is now. This holds nothing up against what basic training made you feel like."

Zack stared and smiled. Happy to see her happy and free. He had regretted leaving her in the hallway the night of the escape. "I missed you little sister."

"I've." Jace paused. "Missed you as well big brother."

"You're doing well?"

"Yes."

"And our niece or nephew?"

I'm not sure what it is but Hannah assures me it's happy and healthy. I'm going to call it Max either way. She made sure that I chose to liberate myself from Manticore. I owe her my life and my child's as well." Jace shook her head. "I went AWOL, I'm the enemy now, the deserter."

Zack shook his head."No Jace you did the right thing. You're exactly where you belong. You're free and with your family now."

"You left me." Jace looked as if she were going to cry.

"You choose to be left." Zack fired back.

"I was scared. Weak."

"You grew stronger." Zack smiled he'd been doing a lot of growing up lately as well.

"How's Max?"

"Stable." Zack shrugged. "She's been better."

"I understand so have I." Jace smirked.

Zack nodded. "I'm hoping Hannah cane help."

"She's a good person and an even better doctor."

Zack was somewhat reassured by Jace's feelings.

"And the others?"

"I have constant contact with them all."

"That is all you're going to tell me?"

"That is all I can tell you."

"Forget security Zack. Just as bad as you wanted to talk to me I need to know a few things. Names, numbers, well being. It was the worst torture ever not to know anything after the escape and Manticore sure, as hell wasn't telling us anything. I was under the assumption you were all dead until Manticore started in on training us to take you down as the enemy."

Zack sighed he knew when he was beaten. "Twelve made it out."

"Who?"

"Myself. Max. Jondy. Ben. Brin. Zane. Krit. Syl. Tinga. Locke. Braden, and Lila."

"And you're all alright?"

Zack sighed. "I don't want to upset you."

"I need to know Zack."

"Most of them only know as much as you do now. It's a matter of security."

"I told you to forget that. My situation is different."

Zack nodded. "Alright. Brin turned herself over to Manticore. She had succumbed to Welners disease and wanted a chance to live. Tinga has a family. Ben was K.I.A."

Jace was silent absorbing the information and responding with the typical adherence to display rules. Her face was a blank slate. "The rest are okay?"

"Yes." Zack nodded.

"That's good." Jace allowed a hint of a smile to play on her lips. "It's reassuring." Jace yawned and absentmindedly rubbed her stomach. "I need to get some rest Zack." She really needed time to absorb all this new information emotionally without her brother looking on.

"Take care of yourself Jace." Zack smiled.

"I will Zack. Take care of yourself and Maxie now."

Zack nodded.

Jace and Zack moved away from the cameras so that Hannah and Logan could go over some last minuet details so that Hannah could get there as soon as possible.


	5. Infirmary Triage Station

****

In preparation for Hannah's arrival Logan had turned the guestroom into a smaller scale hospital room. He had gotten the equipment from generous people, doctors and technicians who were allies of the informant net. The atmosphere of the converted room was obviously wearing down on Zack's already frazzled nerves. He passed up and down the length of the hallway muttering to himself about Manticore and his distrust of doctors. He'd checked on Max a dozen times since he'd gotten off the call with Jace and nothing had changed except for the brief moment when Max had woken up panicked. For a few tense moments she didn't recognize any of them not even Zack or Logan. She was convinced without a doubt that she was back in the barracks at Manticore and that they were all the enemy. Zack brought up 'child-hood' memories until she recognized him and clung to him. Then Zack reminded her who Bling and Logan were and where she was but the machinery had her confused. Logan reminded her of all the time she had spent in the penthouse and brought in the Bast statue. Eventually Max remembered. Eventually she calmed down and drifted into another restless sleep. 

The night before Hannah had confirmed with Logan that she would be arriving some time today. So they were all stuck waiting as Max had small fits of delirium and paranoia more frequently. At one point Bling had frantically called Zack back into the room.

"Zack!"

Zack rushed in too the room to find Max standing on the bed up against the wall with a knife in her hand. 

"Stay away from me!" Max screamed holding Bling at bay with the knife.

"I woke her and tired to feed her and she panicked." Bling sounded helpless.

"Max." Zack said with authority.

"No. There's no rations. This could all be poison." Max held Zack at bay with the knife.

"Max do you know who I am?"

"Of course Zack why would you let them try and poison me?"

"I wasn't on watch outside the door when your meal came in." Zack answered snapping to attention. "I'm sorry soldier."

Max calmed a little but not enough to relinquish the knife. 

"I'll rectify the situation." Zack clicked his heals together and turned to leave the room,

"See that you do." Max nodded eyeing Bling warily. 

"Logan." Zack went into the kitchen. "I need a glass of water, a glass of milk, some vitamins or Tylenol any kind of pill will do really and a few granola bars. Can you do that for me?"

Logan nodded not asking any questions and gave everything to Zack. Zack set up the tray the way it would have been at Manticore and returned to the guestroom He stood outside the door balancing the tray in one hand in order to open the door with the other. "Permission to enter?"

"Granted." 

Max put down the knife and sat down on the bed. She actually smiled eyeing the tray and then snatching it from Zack. She ate as Zack stood over her eyeing Bling the whole time. "Can't you dismiss him? He's making me nervous."

Zack nodded. "I need to get permission."

Zack clicked his heals together and closed the door behind himself. He walked into Logan's bedroom and had a loud fictitious conversation with Corneal Lydecker. Zack returned to the room and turned to Bling who sloppily snapped to attention.

"You are relieved soldier." Zack saluted Bling. "Dismissed."

"Sir yes sir." Bling saluted Zack and imitating him clicked hiss heals together and left the room shutting the door behind him. 

Zack pulled up a chair and sat stiffly watching Max eat. Max turned to him her eyes sparkling. "What did you sneak me?"

Zack froze for a moment. He was nine and Max was only four it was one of the many times that even Krit and Jondy were asleep. Max, Syl, Brin and Zane had been denied rations that night at dinner. It was one of the many times Manticore had selectively tried to teach a few of the younger ones about discipline. The others were all asleep due to exhaustion and hunger except for Jondy who was knocked out due to subjection of experimentation during the day. Zack felt he needed to sneak off, it was times like these when he knew the thing truly being tested was his loyalty to the squad. While the others were all asleep Zack snuck off to do extra work to score the rations the others had been denied during the day. The moment he returned to the barracks Max sat up in bed. 

"What did you sneak us Zack?" Her wide inquisitive eyes sparkled. 

"Zack?" Max sat up in bed a grown up twenty-year-old woman. "Come on what did you sneak me?"

Zack produced a small piece of cake wrapped in a bandanna along with another granola bar. Of course Logan had set it all up for him because Zack had expected something like this to happen but Max was none the wiser and extremely happy by her CO's seemingly grand sacrifice. 

"Thank you Zack." Max saluted him and then stuffed her face with the acceptable safe food. 

"Sure Maxie you're welcome." Zack grinned.

Max scowled at the sound of Zack's nickname for her but because of the time she thought she was in saying anything fell under insubordination so she sucked it up and kept calm while he watched her eat. 

Zack grinned as he watched Max try and bite back her normal sarcasm. He calmly watched her eat as a small trickle of blood traced its way from the tip of her nose down to her chin. Time froze as Sebastian's words echoed in his head. If her eyes start to bleed the probe has been reactivated.' What did a bloody nose mean? For Zack it meant panic as Max sat there oblivious to the blood eating as if nothing was wrong. 

Zack stood up snapping to attention again. "X5-452 permission the leave your presence for a moment?"

Max nodded and continued to eat. You want to go brief Lydecker?"

Zack nodded checking his wristwatch. "I'm already late." He wanted nothing to do with Lydecker it was Logan he needed to apprise of the situation.

You'll come back when you're done?"

"Of course I will Maxie." Zack nodded.

"Zack why am I under such strict observation?" Max regarded him with wide-eyed awe.

"They made you sick Max and they want to see how quickly you will heal. I need to go and talk to Lydecker and I don't want to be reprimanded." Zack moved towards the door.

"I don't want to get you in trouble. Just don't be gone too long. I'm scared." Max said the last part very softly.

"Don't worry Maxie everything will be okay." Zack left the room hoping what he'd just said stayed true. 

"Logan what do you know about this probe?" Zack snapped when he found the man sitting by his computer.

"What do you mean Zack?" Logan looked up from the computer monitor.

"Sebastian said that if Max's eyes start to bleed that the probe has been reactivated."

"That's true." Logan nodded a look of fear creeping its way into his facial features. 

"Well do you know what a nose bleed means?"

"Max has a nosebleed?" Logan asked suddenly looking worried. 

"Yes quite profusely." Zack nodded. "What does it mean?" 

Bling spoke up, "It usually means a person is run down."

"I honestly don't know Zack but Sab's might." Logan set up a secure encrypted line so that he could talk to Sebastian. Logan laid out the problem to his trusted colleague. 

"I'm not entirely sure Logan. It might mean that the probe has been reactivated or it might indicate that she's just run down. Is she hostile and easily provoked? More so then usual I mean more hyper or irate?"

"Not much more then usual." Zack spoke up.

"Then I honestly don't know." Sebastian replied.

"That's just great." Zack fumed. "So what do we do now?"

"Wait for Hannah." Sebastian answered bluntly.

Zack stood up and stormed out of the room completely fed up with the situation.

"Permission to enter?" Zack barked from outside the guestroom door.

"Permission granted." Max called out.

Zack stood just inside the door watching Max. She was done with her rations and the steady flow of blood from her nose had ebbed. Zack relaxed a little but not much, not enough to let his guard down. "Stand up Max."

Max stood and snapped to attention.

"At ease." Zack snapped as he slowly circled her inspecting her body. He stopped behind her and lifted up her hair. The spot where the bump had been above her barcode had not gotten any bigger but the area around it was slightly swollen and becoming black and blue. He reached out lightly to stroke the area and Max flinched away from his touch. 

"Ouch!" Max flinched away from Zack's touch. "What are you doing big brother?"

"Trying to help you Max."

"Then why is there so much pain?"

"Pain is a-"

"Weakness, yeah I know." Max nodded.

"I'm just trying to help you Max."

"By hurting me Zack?"

"No, I-" Zack reached out again to lightly touch the spot.

"Just stop it. I'll fight you if I have to."

"No Maxie." Zack stepped back his hands in the surrender position.

"What's wrong with me Zack?"

"They're experimenting on you Maxie." Zack turned away with his vague answer. 

"What did Lydecker have to say?"

"Briefings are confidential Max you know that."

"I'm your SIC you forget I'm usually included in these briefings. It was that bad huh?"

"No," Zack shook his head. "Hannah will be in soon to check on you."

Max nodded. "She's one of the good ones."

"She's nice to us." Zack offered.

"Pain is irrelevant." Max said softly. "Niceness is an emotion. Emotions are irrelevant."

"Even how you feel about me Maxie?"

"What of it Zack?" Max asked. "You're my big brother, the CO; your job is to protect me. We're breeding partners."

Zack was caught off guard for a moment before he responded. "I know that Maxie."

"Then don't leave me?"

"Never Maxie." Zack sat down on the foot of the bed.

Max crawled back under the covers. "Why am I in this bed?"

"They ran out of room in the infirmary wing Max you're in one of the officers quarters."

"Oh." Max relaxed a little. "I didn't think it was normal."

"Not exactly."

"So this is what Jondy was talking about when she said Lydecker lived in a place that wasn't like the barracks."

Zack just stared at Max so she felt that she had to clarify herself.

"Jondy wandered into his room one night by mistake."

"Yes I remember that." Zack nodded. Lydecker had caught Jondy in his quarters and had treated the girl differently from that night on.

"It wasn't too long ago." Max said reflectively.

Zack came to the realization of approximately when Max thought it was from that simple statement. She thought it was about 2006 pre-escape. Zack wondered if she was seeing him as the child he had been at that time or simply projecting that time on to how she saw him now without questioning it.

The door to the room opened and Logan rolled to a stop sticking his head in the door. "How's our favorite patient doing Zack?"

Max stared at Logan. "Zack, who-" She cut herself off and smiled. "Logan."

Logan smiled.

"What are you doing here?" The confusion was evident on Max's face before it disappeared behind the calm of her Manticore mask.

Logan looked at Zack unsure of how to answer the question and Zack shrugged.

"You're trespassing. They'll kill you if they catch you here." Max looked truly frightened. 

"I'd better go then." Logan frowned and left the room.

The moment the door clicked shut Max turned back to Zack. "Sorry sir I was dreaming. On the outside there's this prince named Logan who's going to take me away from here someday. Tinga has a prince named Charlie, Jondy has Craig, Jace thinks it will be someone who works here, Syl thinks it'll be Krit, Brin is sure it will be you. Tinga says Krit and you can never be princes because you're too good at being soldiers, but she could be wrong."

Zack frowned and blinked away a vision of Max as an innocent six-year-old. Tinga and the girls had nights where they sat around talking about princes and castles on the outside of the fence.

"Lydecker came in here last night when he thought I was sleeping." Max confided in Zack.

Zack panicked for a moment before he realized that Max was mixing the present with the past thinking about the time she had almost died from a bad fever. Zack remembered this conversation. "Lydecker came in, what did he have to say?"

"It's classified." Max giggled. "Well he thought I was asleep so mainly he just rambled and apologized for hurting me. I think he was back on the bottle. He was a little too emotional for my taste." Max grimaced.

"Maxie what is it?" Zack jumped where he was sitting and took her hand.

"Nothing." Max lied. Everything hurt her at once. "Emotions are a useless waste of time. Why would Lydecker waste his time on me?"

The conversation was going differently then Zack had remembered it. "How are you holding up Maxie?"

"I'm tired." Max yawned.

Zack tired a new tactic. "I talked to Jace today."

"So." Max shrugged Zack would have seen all twenty-eight of the others through the course of his day.

It was as Zack thought, Max thought they were all still at Manticore. Zack had to try and shake her out of that premise since Logan's presence had failed to do so. 

"Jace's baby is doing very well." Zack said.

"She's naming that baby after me." Max grinned proudly.

Zack was at a complete loss, if Max knew and remembered that then how could she still think they were in Manticore. It didn't make since to him at all.

"You know Jace is on the outside?" Zack asked.

"Yes. She defected when she found out about the baby. She was afraid for Hectors life and the safety of the child." Max said truthfully.

"Max where are we right now?" Zack asked.

"In the officers quarters of the barracks." Max yawned. "You just told me that."

"Yes but where is the barracks?" Zack pushed his line of questioning.

Max made a face. "Are you feeling alright Zack?

"Of course Max." Zack nodded. "Answer my question."

"Are you testing me?"

"Sort of." Zack nodded.

"The barracks is in the Manticore facility in Gillette Wyoming sir." Max yawned her eyes taking on a sleepy glint.

"What happened in 2009?" Zack asked her.

"The pulse hit." Max said though a yawn.

"Anything else?"

"Seizures killed Jack and Eva was terminated, Manticore upped our daily medication."

"Anything else?"

Max shook her head blinking hard. "No sir."

"Interesting." Zack murmured. "And what year is it?"

"2020." Max yawned and closed her eyes.

"Where are the others?" Zack asked. 

"In their respective barracks's."

"Why?" Zack really did want to know what Max's brain had cooked up for her.

"They put us in separate barracks when the heat cycles hit you, the oldest of us and gave us breeding partners which our mission is to get to know and be comfortable with." Max answered in a sleep-laden voice her eyes still closed. 

Zack was at a loss again Max was definitely delirious. She was projecting things that they were taught would have happened to them before the escape into the future. Zack admitted defeat in getting her to realize the truth for now. She would probably just come back at him with some comment on how he'd been taking story-telling lessons from Ben. It could have happened in Max's world of delirium where they were all at Manticore alive and safe and she wasn't torn between the two men she cared for most in the world, she was safe where she was. Her mind had become her protector for a time when it couldn't handle Zack fulfilling the role. 

"Get some rest Max." Zack patted her leg and then got up leaving the room. He felt he had to tell Logan what was going on. Zack owed it to Logan for all he'd done for him and Max over the last year. He needed to talk to Logan mainly because Zack didn't want the man thinking that Max had truly forgotten about him. Zack knew forgetting Max was impossible but having Max forget him would have been unbearable. He didn't want his newfound friend to feel that pain. Zack talked about Max's mental sate to Logan and Bling killing time until Hannah came to hopefully save the day.

*

Hannah found Jace in her room after she had finished talking to Logan. "Jace I'm going to Seattle today. I've got a friend Lucas Alex Geer, he's a kid actually only eighteen, but he's one of the best doctors I've ever seen. I'll leave as soon as he gets here."

Jace made a face. "Hannah I'm still an X-5 even if I'm with child. I could still take a normal person down. You can leave me alone for a while and I will be alright. Go help Max. Just describe the kid to me so that I know it's safe to let him in."

"No Jace-"

"No. Hannah this is not up for discussion. You're leaving now. Just tell me what this kid looks like."

"He wears glasses and a long white lab coat that he swears is a trench coat. He's got green eyes and light blonde, ear length hair that he always wears in spikes. He's a good kid and an even better doctor. He's little; very small for his age, which makes him, look even younger then he is. His little brother gave him the nickname sneaker because his initials are L.A. Geer ask for him by that name, not many people know about that." Hannah said.

"Or the fact that he will be coming here to watch over me." Jace said her hands coming to rest on her swollen belly. "I doubt that anyone will try and impersonate him. Trust me Hannah and go help Max." Jace turnned her back on Hannah to look out the window. The conversation was over as far as the X5 was concerned.

Hannah gathered her things and left briefly hugging Jace and patting her on the back before she locked the door behind herself. Jace allowed her mind to wander as she watched Hannah exit the building and flag down a cab. 

Jace had been pregnant for only about four months and she was still getting morning sickness. The child inside her was growing fast her swollen belly and her aching back were constant reminders of that. These were the only things troubling Hannah about Jace's condition and the real reason she was under constant observation. Jace rationalized it all in a simplistic way. The typical human gestation period was nine months. Jace was human but also part feline. The typical gestation period for a feline was anything between 58-70 days. Not knowing which she fell closer to Jace took each day minuet by minuet. She was deeply angered at Hannah's refusal to take her with her because this was a time when she needed her family the most. Zack was always a source of strength, Tinga had already gone through this and neither seemed eager to help her. Chances were high that Zack hadn't even told the others about her yet. Jace had been left behind the night of the escape and the escapees had left her alone again. It just wasn't fair. Jace leaned her forehead against the glass of the window and cried for everything she had missed during the past eleven years. 


	6. Doctor, Doctor Give Me The News...

****

It was well into the night by the time the plane carrying Hannah Sukova landed at Seattle's Tacoma International Airport. Logan had refused to let Hannah find her own way to the towers. Hannah refused to let Logan to leave Max by herself even though Zack would be there. In her eyes Zack was still a child a responsibility, they all were. Logan finally compromised and agreed to let Bling pick her up from the airport. Logan described Bling to Hannah claming that his personal trainer was very hard to miss. Hannah was still apprehensive about missing him or going with the wrong person so Logan also described the Aztec to her and promised that Bling would be bearing a sign with Hannah's last name on in like pre-pulse limo drivers used to do. Hannah had finally agreed to the conditions last night and had promised to leave Mexico once Jace's affairs were settled. 

Hannah gathered up the only two bags she had with her when the plane landed and went to meet Bling by the pickup and drop off area outside the terminal. Hannah had not planed on staying long and hopped that everything would go as planed. She walked up to a man holding a sign that read SUKOVA in big bold letters.

"I guess you're Bling?"

The man nodded and took both duffel bags from Hannah in one hand and lead Dr. Sukova overt to the Aztec. He noticed the woman checking her watch. "Troggle Towers aren't far from here."

"I'm just worried about Jace." Hannah said offhandedly. 

"I'm sure Logan won't mind you calling her as soon as we get there." Bling smiled reassuringly.

*

Jace had been standing by the window lost in thought for almost an hour before her ears picked up a scuffling sound outside the door. Drawn prematurely out of her thoughts Jace was suddenly on edge. Her maternal instincts were running high. Coupled with her Manticore training Jace was now a mother lioness poised for the kill. She moved to stand at the side of the door. "Who's there?"

"Jace? It's doctor Geer. Hannah sent me over with a set of spare keys."

Hannah had forgotten to mention that and now Jace was growing suspicious. She glanced out the peephole bracing herself against the door and saw what appeared to be a mere boy fitting Hannah's description dangling a pair of keys. 

"What's your pet name?" Jace barked through the door. 

"My what?" The boy looked confused. 

Jace tried again. "What does your little brother call you?"

"Sneaker." The boy smiled fondly but there was a trace of sadness in his eyes. "Are you going to let me in now?"

"Affirmative." Jace unlocked the door, unbolted the two deadbolt locks, and took the chain off of the door opening it up. "Do you have any ID?"

Lucas laughed. "Good old Hannah. She's got you paranoid that I'd be impersonated?" He asked flipping out an ID card for Jace.

"Something like that." Jace nodded inspecting the card and then stepping aside to let the boy in. 

"That's what comes from working at a place like Manticore I suppose." Lucas nodded self-consciously running his left hand through his spiky hair.

"Or from having escaped from there." Jace shot back her answer. 

Lucas gapped at her. "Hannah was serious? You're an X5?"

Jace nodded and turned her head exposing her barcode to him. 

The boy actually smiled. "It's an honor to meet and get to work with you Ma'am."

Jace cringed at his choice of words. "If you want to stay on this assignment you'd better stick to calling me Jace, Kido."

"Sorry." The teenager actually blushed.

"Don't be just cut the militaristic crap." Jace went over to the couch and invited him to sit with her. "How do you know Hannah?"

"My father worked with her. I grew up at Manticore." The boy looked less the pleased at this revelation. Both people in the room shuddered involuntarily at the sound of the word. 

"So where does your father work now?" Jace tried making small talk and it was a better subject to talk about then the weather. 

"He doesn't." The boy looked down at the floor. "He was KIA at Manticore."

"I'm," Jace paused to look at the boy. "Sorry."

"Don't be. I'm a loner. My mother and brother were killed in a robbery soon after the pulse hit. The only thing growing up like this has left me with is a strong hatred fro that hell on earth that you grew up in."

"Then we have a few things in common." Jace actually smiled. "I think I'm going to like having you here in Hannah's absence."

It was Lucas's turn to make small talk until the time of day when Hannah usually examined Jace. Lucas asked about her siblings and she told him what she knew about what was happening to Max. Jace liked the teenager and actually opened up about Hector to him for a while. It had turned out that the boy had known Hector when he was younger so the two had a lot to talk about.

*

Zack and Logan were engaged in small talk. Zack was passing the room When Bling opened the door to the penthouse apartment and held the door open for Hannah. When Hannah walked through the door Zack froze a hundred small flashbacks playing through his head at once.

"Zack?" Hannah asked staring at him in disbelief.

Zack nodded a greeting. "Hannah." The X5 actually allowed himself the luxury of smiling. He had known Hannah the longest out of all of the X5's and the woman had always had a way of putting Zack at ease. 

"I never thought I'd see any of you again after I saw Max in '09." Hannah smiled. "How are you Zack?"

Zack shrugged.

"Same old Zack." Hannah grinned. "How's Max?"

Zack responded the same way he would have if she had said; 'Report X5-599.' "Her status is stable but has gone unchanged since we last spoke."

"That's good." Hannah nodded.

"Except for the delirium." Logan spoke up.

"I was getting there." Zack snapped.

"What's going on Zack?" Hannah asked.

Zack again responded as if she had made a formal request of him. "Ma'am she seems to believe that all we were taught about the future at Manticore has become reality. She believes that the escape never took place and that we are sectioned off into separate barracks and only allowed contact in exercises and breeding cycles. She thinks that they're experimenting on her again. She thinks Logan is just a prince in her imagination destined to take her away one-day. She thinks that right now she's in the officers quarters because there was no room in the infirmary."

"At eases Zack." Hannah blinked. "That does not sound good at all. What do we know about the effects of this probe? What exactly was it supposed to do?"

Zack sighed. "It makes the user feel invincible. It makes them faster, stronger, smarter."

"So much like an X5." Hannah nodded.

"Kind of." Logan spoke up.

"So it made Max into a supper X5."

"Yes." Logan nodded. "The problem being that it interfaces directly with the users central nervous system. It overloaded the person's central nervous system and ultimately killed the user. They thought that an X5 would be the key to figuring it all out but they were wrong."

Zack was still staring at Hannah in almost disbelief.

"Yes I am real Zack." Hannah reached out to touch him but Zack jumped back with the speed and grace of anX5.

"Don't" was all he could muster up a bit short of breathe. "Max is the most important thing right now."

"Right." Hannah nodded. "Where are you keeping her?"

"In the guest bedroom." Logan spoke up. "I've turned it into a kind of small triage center in preparation for your arrival."

"Can I see her?" Hannah turned to Zack for permission, guidance and an escort.

"I'll take you in." Zack stated. "But not like that. Do you have a lab coat with you?"

"Sure and a set of scrubs, why?" Hannah nodded.

"Max thinks that she's still in Manticore your showing up in civilian clothes will just confuse her." Zack said bluntly.

"That makes sense." Hannah nodded gathering up on of her bags and heading into what she assumed was the bathroom to change. "We don't need to upset her any further."

"She's extremely wary and jumpy." Zack agreed.

"Paranoia stemming from the confusion of her delirium." Hannah spoke up from behind the closed door of the bathroom.

"Right." Zack shrugged." She attacked Bling with a knife." He said by way of a warning.

"That's why you're coming in there with me." Hannah said when she came out of the bathroom in her scrubs and lab coat. "In case she gets violent."Zack nodded his back was turned to Hannah and he was looking out the window. When he turned and saw her the rest of the apartment dropped away and a sharp intake of air escaped from his lips. Zack had been twelve when his first heat cycle hit, the others had been ten and seven respectively. Zack had gone through about six heat cycles before the escape. It gave him the experience he needed to help the others when their firsts came about on the outside. Zack's first cycle had been fourteen days of hell, anguish and isolation. He had been locked into on of the subbasement rooms where they had keep the X2's before they cut their numbers down to only four and moved them into the basement. He was under strict observation and it was constantly explained to him what was happening and that nothing could be done about it until the others got older. Trapped in the room Hannah was the only person who came to visit him and even the simple taking of his vital signs daily, the simple touch of her cool skin against his own burning oversensitive skin had helped him though it. He had been given hormone supplements and various other things to help him through it, but there was no satisfaction and his second cycle only came on harder then the first. She had been extremely nice to him during this time and had helped Zack greatly by visiting him at least twice a day. In his own way Zack had loved her for saving him then. Hannah was dressed now very much as she had been then and that was what had triggered his brief flashback and momentary anguish and frustration.

"What?" Zack blinked. Hannah and Logan had been talking to him. He hadn't heard a word they'd said and his hands shook slightly.

"Zack?" Hannah could tell by the look in his eyes that something was wrong.

"It's nothing." Zack snapped.

"No. It's not. What is it Zachary?" Hannah pushed him.

"Don't call me that!" Zack snapped. "He called me that an I hated it."

Hannah thought for a moment looking down at her garb. What would this make the X5 think about? Countless experimentations and surgeries? No. It was something else entirely. His posture and breathing gave it away in some aspect. Hannah saw a brief flash of the ragging boy in one of the padded rooms that had held the X2's until their numbers were cut down to a mere four. "Oh Zack."

Zack stiffened and bristled at the sound of her voice she too had remembered the incident.

"I know it was hard." She went on.

"No harder then it was to deal with on the outside."

Logan and Bling were lost.

"You ready to do this?" Hannah asked.

Zack nodded and squared his shoulders. "Yes."

Thinking about his first heat cycle and then going in to see Max after the feelings he had finally come to terms with was going to be hard. It didn't matter how hard it would be for him. What mattered was getting Hannah in to see Max. His feelings didn't matter now. Not at all.

"Let me go in first." Zack halted Hannah's progress outside the door. 

Zack went inside the room and saw Max. She was perched on the end of the bed going through the content of the hope chest that was there. Max jumped as she heard the door shut behind him. She shut the chest and lay back on the pillow winching slightly. Curiosity killed the cat.

"So have you figured out who's room this is yet?" Zack leaned casually up against the wall.

Max yawned and stretched putting forth the fallacy that she had just been woken up. "What sir?"

"Don't play games with me, I saw you Maxie."

Max thought but didn't move from her place on the bed. "Not Lydecker's because there aren't any firearms. One of the classroom instructors perhaps maybe General Needleman the sociology instructor, or Dolmen the computer instructor."

Zack grinned. "Close enough."

"You know whose room this is?"

"Yes but I'm not at liberty to tell you." Zack did something between a grin and a grimace. How could he tell her that the room belonged to someone who she now thought was a figment of her imagination and who she had previously loved? He had to protect her.

"I figured." Max chewed on one of her fingernails, which were too long, and she was sure she'd get reprimanded for.

"Hannah's here to see you." Zack said snapping to attention and standing at the foot of the bed.

"Already?" Max yawned and winched, she wasn't looking forward to this. 

"Yes, what's wrong Maxie."

"Nothing let her in." Max paled slightly.

Zack went to the door and let Hannah in.

"Ma'am." Max moved to get up.

"At ease X5-452." Hannah said walking into the room. "You need your rest to conserve your strength."

Zack was amazed at Hannah's transformation and reversion to her past self.

"I'm going to have to examine you now. Strip down." Hannah handed Max a hospital gown.

Zack was there but modesty was irrelevant. After all it was nothing her breeding partner had not seen before. Max stripped down to just her underwear and put on the gown tugging self-consciously on her hair, which was too long, and she was sure they would cut it again soon.

Zack blinked and his eyes widened slightly as Max stood there bare-chested and confident for a moment before putting on the gown. The image along with the memory of the time he was no longer a child along with his feelings for her was almost overwhelming. He tried hard to close his mind off to the flood of emotions. 

Hannah was aware of all of this and choked back a laugh.

Max lay back down on the bed and winched again rolling her neck. 

Hannah examined Max taking her blood presure, pulse, temperature, reaction time in reflexes, eyesight and took a blood sample. Then she did a complete physical exam. Max reacted less to Hannah touching the bump on her neck then she had when Zack had touched it. Max's face remained placid but her eyes brimmed with tears and her body tensed. 

"Does that hurt Max?" Hannah asked.

Max raised an eyebrow at the sound of her own name. "Ma'am no Ma'am."

"Is this uncomfortable?" Hannah tried again.

"A little." Max answered. She blinked hard and yawned a few stray tears squeezing out of her eyes. 

Zack had seen what Hannah had written down as Max's temperature on her chart. Max's temperature was two degrees higher then it had been when Bling had first checked her out.

Hannah loaded another needle with an antibiotic Max's body was definitely showing signs of fighting off some sort of infection. The shot would definitely help her. 

"No. No more needles." Max's whole body tensed.

"It's okay Maxie the medicine will help you." Zack spoke up.

Max looked at him as if to ask if he was sure and Zack gave her a stiff nod.

"No." Max said softly as Hannah moved to inject her.

"You can not resist X5-452 I have very strict orders concerning this." Hannah spoke up.

Max stiffened but yielded to Hannah who had mixed the medication with a mild sedative and Max fell under the concoction's spell very quickly. Max slept soundly and Zack and Hannah left her to heal and went back into the main room.

Logan looked up. "So what's the diagnosis doc?"

Hannah smirked and shook her head. "It's too early to tell Logan."

*

Lucas looked over the charts in his hand that Hannah had drawn up on Jace over the past two weeks. "Are you sure you're alright with this?"

Jace shrugged. "I have little choice modesty has become irrelevant."

Lucas smiled. "Hector would have been proud of your strength."

Jace's eyes brimmed with tears and she simply nodded stiffly choking back the flood of emotions his words had produced. 

"He was a great man." Lucas nodded in agreement to Jace's statement.

"Let's get this over with." Lucas smiled. "It seems almost useless. You're an X5 always in good health and you seem fine to me. 

Jace smiled and rubbed her swollen stomach. "It's not myself I'm worried about."

Lucas nodded and went through the standard examination that Jace had become accustomed to from Hannah doing it daily. Lucas examined Jace taking her blood presure, pulse, temperature, reaction time in reflexes, eyesight and took a blood sample. Then he did a complete physical exam and hooked Jace up to a fetal heart rate monitor. 

"Everything seems normal, as normal as it can be." Lucas smiled reassuringly.

Jace smiled also. "That's all I needed to know."

"The only problem I see is that your physically further along now then you should be and there's the fact that you're still experiencing morning sickness. It all seems normal in accordance to what Hannah has observed with you."

Jace tisked, "I wish I could talk to Tinga about it. She's been through this all already."

"Tinga?" Lucas arched an eyebrow?" 

"One of my sisters." Jace explained.

"An X5 has already had a child and Hannah isn't drawing from that information?"

Jace shook her head. "Nope up until yesterday I didn't even know about her."

I'll have to talk to her about that at some time once she's settled in Seattle."

Jace grinned. She really did like this boy better then Hannah for the simple reason that he was not so restrained by protocol as she was. Jace would have loved it if Zack would have allowed her to speak with Tinga but Jace knew it would be a battle to get him to allow her to do it. A battle she wasn't sure she could win considering that they were talking about Zack and Tinga probably thought that Jace was still stuck in Manticore. 

*

Zack reacted before the sound came he tensed sensing what was coming. There was an unmistakable change in the sir current in the apartment and a smell only he could detect. He was halfway down the hallway to the guestroom before Hannah, Logan or Bling heard the sound of Max's agonized scream that filled the air in the apartment. The three were behind Zack by the time he had the door open and had moved to Max's bedside.

Max was awake, her face pale, her eyes wide starring at the pillow she had been resting on comfortably only moments before, a hand clasping the back of her neck. The white pillowcase was covered in a sheen of bright red blood. Max was covered in a thin sheen of sweat and her body convulsed freely but slightly. Her tremors came from a sense of fear. A thin trickle of blood oozed its way out of her nose and over her bottom lip. Max matched her gaze to Zack's and began to cry softly. Her own gaze was wild and unfocused. 

Hannah moved to Max's side and examined the back of her neck. This was the source of the blood on the pillow and Max's anguish. The bump that had been there had become an open sore with a small metal spike looking much like a drill bit poking out from it.

Max tore away from Hannah's touch. She shot a look of utter fear and loathing at Bling and Logan. She fled to Zack and stood behind him. "Why are they doing this to me?"

Zack turned to her. "Maxie it's not them."

"They're Manticore." She was looking at Bling and Hannah. "And he's just a figment of my imagination." She indicated Logan. "They're all punishing me."

Max wavered on her feet and Zack reached out to steady her. She clung to Zack's arm.

"Don't let them hurt me anymore Big Brother." She had begun to sound panicked. "Why are they trying to remove my barcode, don't they know it won't come off? It's etched into our genetic code."

"You know I can't promise you that Maxie. Manticore doesn't take orders from me but I will protect you as always." Zack said holding her close.

Max took everyone in the room by surprise by turning and hugging Zack tightly.

"They're going to reprimand me for this for sure." Max stiffened and stepped away from him. "I'm being overemotional. It's intolerable behavior. It's just that we only get to see each other in exercises and recreation and at meals or when they want us to try and copulate. I miss you and Ben, Krit, Locke, Jessie, Braden and Zane, everyone." Max shook her head not entirely sure of what she was saying anymore but she was sure she shouldn't say anymore in the presence of the enemy. 

"It's okay Maxie." Zack hugged her again.

"No. No it's not okay Zack they're going to kill me. They're going to kill you all of us, one by one. We're weak, flawed, maybe Ben was right and we're all nomalies." She broke away from Zack. "I have to get out of here!"

"Max don't let them hear you talk like that. Wait until your well." Zack insisted.

"Well? Ha. Zack it's been days since I've spared. How am I going to get better if I'm wasting away and getting weak?"

"You're not weak Maxie. This is Manticore not you. You've always been able to beat them." Zack said softly.

"I want them to leave." Max screamed spinning on the group. "Get out!" She sunk to her knees still shaking but Zack caught her before she hit the ground.

Zack helped Max into bed as the others filed out of the room. "You need to rest Max."

"Why does everyone keep telling me that? I don't want to rest." Max yawned despite her claim. "Why aren't any of the others checking in on me?" Her eyes conveyed her pain this time it was different from the physical. "Have they forgotten about me?"

"No Maxie the others could never forget about you. It's not their responsibility." Zack said quickly. "They have other duties. I'm the commanding officer."

"Then don't you have a responsibility to be with them too?"

"I am while I'm away from you and while you sleep. It's always been different with you Maxie you know that." Zack smiled down at her.

"I don't want to talk about this." Max snapped turning away from him. "Just don't leave me alone with them."

"I promise Maxie I won't leave you alone at all someone will be here with you at all times." Zack said wondering to himself how he would manage to pull that promise off.

Max nodded and took Zack's hand holding it tightly. Eventually Max had fallen into another restless sleep. Bling seemed to be the only safe person that Zack could use to implement his plan. He could take over the watches when Zack was attending to his other 'duties'. He just might be able to convince Max that Bling was Braden if he could teach Bling a few things first. 


	7. Deception Tactics

AN: (Incase you haven't read the review.) Okay guys I'm sorry I ran into a few problems. First I lost the notebook that I had wrote chapter seven in but rest assured I found it and am typing it up. I have also been sick for a few weeks now and no one was telling me what was wrong. That too has seemed to pass. I'm typing up the chapter as quickly as I can and I hope it lives up to your expectations. :) Also my posting has been slowed down due to that fact that I am enrolled in two writing workshops in college where I am required to write 10 pg. Original stories and plays every week. I'm trying to keep up with everything extremely unsuccessfully. So sorry about the wait but here goes nothing…  
  
________________________________________________________________________  
  
Zack sat in front of Bling after filling the three in on his plan. Zack was wearing a pair of army surplus pants, gray camouflage that he had found at a thrift store and a gray tee shirt. "Logan do you have a gray shirt Bling can wear?"  
  
"I'm sure I can find something." Logan nodded and went into his bedroom.  
  
"I have another pair of these pants you can wear." Zack informed Bling. "So are you ready to become a soldier?"  
  
"I'll try." Bling nodded.  
  
"There is no try soldier only do." Zack snapped as Logan came out and handed Bling the shirt. "Go suit up Soldier."  
  
When Bling came out of the bathroom Zack realized how much he really did look just like Braden. Zack sighed and went over Braden's background information as well as general Manticore practices and exactly how soldiers acted. He had to repeat the story three times before Bling remembered minor stuff, but Zack would have to work with it given the time constraints. "Stand up." Zack snapped.  
  
"Sir yes sir." Bling snapped up off of the couch to his feet.  
  
"Stand at attention."  
  
Bling snapped stiffly to attention. Logan looked impressed. Zack tisked exasperated but it was Hannah who spoke.  
  
"Braden was a strange one. He stood at attention with a slight slouch as if he wasn't really doing it and without looking sloppy. Here try this." Hannah reached out and changed Bling's position a bit.  
  
"That's it!" Zack actually grinned. "Good job."  
  
Zack pulled a kitchen chair into the room. "Sit."  
  
Bling sat down obediently.  
  
"Turn the chair around and straddle it arms folded across the top." Hannah said. She had worked wit Braden after the escape. Braden had been in the infirmary that night of the escape and the split second decision to escape didn't include freeing him. It would have been too time costly to go back for him. Bling shifted his position and Hannah smiled. "Perfect."  
  
"What's your designation?" Zack asked.  
  
"Three, three, one, four," Bling started but Zack cut him off.  
  
"Shorten it."  
  
"Sir my designation is X5-902, sir." Bling answered.  
  
Zack nodded. "Do you think you're ready soldier?"  
  
"Sir yes sir." Bling nodded.  
  
"Your stage awaits." Logan turned to his friend. "Good luck."  
  
"There's no such thing." Zack and Bling had said at the same time. Bling had taken very quickly to the whole soldier mentality. A little too quickly for Zack who was almost positive now that the man had been in the service at some point in his life.  
  
Bling nodded in response to Logan's attempted good wishes and headed to the door to the guestroom rapping sharply on the door.  
  
"Enter." A sleepy Max answered.  
  
Bling took a deep breath and opened the door walking into the room with the most expressionless face her could muster.  
  
Max starred at the man who had walked through the door; she had been expecting Zack. "X5-902?" Max asked.  
  
Bling nodded curtly stepping inside the door and letting it shut behind him. "Drop the formalities Max no one is watching."  
  
"Braden?" Max grinned at the man standing at attention just inside the door. "Where's Zack?"  
  
Zack had anticipated the question and Bling repeated the answer he had been feed. "Zack's in a briefing with Lydecker and the committee. The others are doing a seek and evade exercise with the X-4's." Bling pulled the chair up close to Max's bed and sat in the manor he had been taught.  
  
Max grinned looking slightly confused. "Then why are you here?"  
  
Zack had anticipated that question too. "I got nicked during the exercise." Braden/Bling showed her a bandage darkened with iodine to look like blood that Hannah had put on his arm. "So they pulled me out of the field and sent me in here to relieve Zack and watch over you."  
  
Max grimaced. "Who shot you?"  
  
"I snuck up on Syl and startled her."  
  
"Friendly fire just like with Avi."  
  
"Only without the tragic ending." Zack had told Bling about the soldier who had been shot and taken down when the group had been startled by a bird.  
  
"Right." Max grinned.  
  
"How are you feeling Max?"  
  
Max shrugged softly. "Like hell."  
  
Braden/Bling nodded. At least her nose had stopped bleeding. "Can I see the back of your neck? Hannah and Lydecker want us to keep them apprised of your condition."  
  
Max sighed and flipped her hair; nothing seemed to have changed since earlier.  
  
"Why did you let them try and poison me?" Max snapped pulling away from Braden to turn and accuse him.  
  
"They sent you the food that the officer who usually lives here eats by mistake." Braden/Bling said.  
  
"It still wasn't right." Max insisted.  
  
"I figured you'd enjoy something that smelt that good over the standard rations."  
  
Max shook her head. "You broke regulations and frightened me."  
  
"I'm sorry Max." Braden/Bling said.  
  
"It's alright just don't slip up again." She smirked.  
  
"Ma'am yes Ma'am." Braden/Bling returned the smirk.  
  
Max winched. "Braden do you know what there doing to me? Zack won't tell me."  
  
"It's a need to know situation Max and they don't think either of us need to know." Braden/Bling shook his head.  
  
"By the grace of The Blue Lady! I'm the one going through it and I don't need to know?" Max raged.  
  
"It's just like all the experimenting they did on us when we were children."  
  
"I know but it's not right. I'm old enough to understand it now."  
  
Braden/Bling rolled his eyes. "You know how they are with adhering to certain policies."  
  
"Yeah, hard as stone." Max sighed.  
  
Braden/Bling needed to do something he was beginning to feel a bit uncomfortable in the room. He stood up and began passing the room as he had seen Zack do so many times before.  
  
"Braden sit down you're making me nervous!" Max snapped at Braden though she never would have done the same thing with Zack. It told Bling where Braden stood in her eyes after all she was the SIC of the group.  
  
Braden/Bling sat down straddling the chair again. "Sorry Max."  
  
"It's okay." Max squirmed and threw the blanket off of herself. "It's too warm in here!"  
  
Braden/Bling shrugged.  
  
"They're making me weak Braden." Max glanced cautiously around. "Do you want to count for me?"  
  
"Count what?" Braden/Bling asked caught off guard and momentarily confused.  
  
"Count off for me." Max hopped off of the bed and hit the ground in push-up position.  
  
"For a while Max only I'm not supposed to let you over exert yourself." Braden/Bling said cocking an eye. "Ready?"  
  
"Yes"  
  
"Up one, up two ... ... up twenty five." Braden/Bling counted.  
  
"Braden come on I'm not that sick." Max said in between pushups. "You don't have to slow down that much."  
  
Braden/Bling blanched. Max was expecting Braden's X5 quick reflexes, which Bling simply did not possess. If Max did the pushups at full tilt Bling's normal human eyes could not have been able to follow her movements to count them off. "I have strict orders not to let you overexert yourself. You are not allowed any undue stress. You need to heal. So if you want to do this, this is the speed you are going to have to proceed at."  
  
Max humphed in protest. "Fine." She blew her bangs out of her face. "This is gruelingly slow you know that right?"  
  
"Yes, but it will only make you stronger." This was something Bling's training allowed him to know a lot about.  
  
"Don't stop until a hundred." Max conceded.  
  
"Okay but no more then that." Braden/Bling agreed. "Up twenty-six."  
  
"Start at one." Max went through the movements ordering him.  
  
"No Max." Braden/Bling said.  
  
"That was an order Braden. Are you denying my order?"  
  
"Yes Ma'am. My orders come from a higher power." Braden/Bling stood his ground.  
  
Max growled. "Continue then."  
  
"Up twenty-seven ... ...up ninety-nine, up one hundred." Braden/Bling smiled.  
  
Max grinned at him and then went to get back into bed.  
  
"Max no don't!" Braden/Bling jumped. "You need to cool down. You're going to cramp up if you lay down now."  
  
"Right." Max passed the room. "How do you like Lila?"  
  
Bling had no idea who Lila was, Zack had not told him anything about her. He stiffened and was silent for a moment but then decided to go with something Zack had told him. "Emotions are a waist of time and energy."  
  
Max grinned. "She's your breeding partner Braden this is different you can tell me."  
  
Zack had told Bling what Max thought was true of herself and the other X5's were doing now. Bling new vaguely about this set up. Braden/Bling smirked at Max. "Sure Max only if you tell me what you think about Zack." As much as Braden/Bling really didn't want to know what Max's convoluted mind had produced on the subject, he was sure that Max wouldn't tell him anyway.  
  
"That's not fair Braden." Max found herself passing the room and went to the window, which she was sure only opened about two inches. Since she was so sure of it in her head that she didn't even try to open it any farther then that. "It's too warm in here." Max complained.  
  
Bling had no idea who Lila was, Zack had not told him about her. He stiffened and was silent for a moment but then decided to go with something that Zack had told him.  
  
"Emotions are a waste of time and energy."  
  
Max grinned. "She's your breeding partner Braden you can tell me."  
  
Zack had told Bling what Max thought was true of herself and the other X5's were doing now. Bling knew vaguely about this breeding setup. Braden/Bling smirked at Max. "Sure Max only if you tell me what you think about Zack." As much as Braden/Bling really didn't want to know what Max's convoluted mind had produced on the subject and he was sure that Max wouldn't tell him.  
  
"That's not fair Braden!" Max found herself passing the room and went to the window she was sure only opened about two inches. Since she was so sure of it in her head she didn't even try to open it any further. "It's too warm in here." Max complained.  
  
"Think about Baking our desert training program, compared to that it's comfortable in here." Braden/Bling nodded.  
  
Max shook her head no. "It feels like I'm in that room now." She complained as she continued to passe the length of the room.  
  
"Max you just have to calm down." Braden/Bling said.  
  
"I can't." Max sat down in the chair Braden/Bling had been in and the moment she sat down she shot right back up again. "When's Zack coming back?"  
  
"I don't know Max whenever the exercise is over I suppose." Braden/Bling answered. "Lay back down and-"  
  
"Get some rest." Max finished. "Get some rest! Get some rest! That's all everyone keeps saying. Well I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired!" Max screamed passing the room. "Do you hear me?" Max rushed at the mirrored wall by the closet that she was sure that someone was watching her from behind for surveillance. "Why can't you just leave me alone?"  
  
"Max calm down." Braden/Bling grabbed her by her shoulders and she flipped him across the room.  
  
"I don't want to calm down I want to be reinstated!" She yelled at no one in particular as Braden/Bling collected himself up off of the floor. "I want to return to the barracks! I want to be better! I want to see Zack." Max screamed shaking and punched the mirror shattering it. She spun the moment Braden/Bling was back on his feet. "Don't come near me!"  
  
"It's okay Max." He said softly his hands in the surrender position.  
  
"No it's not. Nothing is okay!" She stumbled and sunk to her knees as the room started to fade. Max seized a full-blown seizure the likes of Bling had never seen her take. Max was crying and muttering about Zack.  
  
Zack burst into the room bottle of Tryptophan in hand. He had been listening the whole time and couldn't take it anymore. He was at her side in a heartbeat. He forced a handful of Tryptophan into Max's mouth but it had no effect. "Hannah!"  
  
Zack had only seen Max seize this bad once, the night that Eva had died and Zack had quickly formulated the plans for the escape. Zack held Max and fought the onset of the flashback this action had elicited.  
  
Hannah and Logan rushed into the room. "Is the Tryptophan helping?" Hannah asked.  
  
"No." The anguish and worry was evident on Zack's face.  
  
Hannah gave Max a shot without consulting anyone.  
  
"What the hell was that?" Zack was clearly agitated.  
  
"Valium. It's a great muscle relaxer and good for combating seizures." Hannah spoke up.  
  
Zack tensed holding Max and pleading with to come out of it. Max shook, her nose started bleeding and a few bloody tears escaped from her eyes.  
  
Zack was gone hurtled back into his past. A group of twenty-eight soldiers were gathered around Max who was seizing on the floor. Braden had been in the infirmary for the better part of the day and Jack had only been terminated a week earlier. No one wanted to loose Max as they had Jack to the shakes. Eva had been very close to Jack and she refused to see Max fall to the same fate as her favorite brother. When Lydecker went to take Max away Zack moved in front of her backed up by Krit and Jondy. Zane had rushed Lydecker and he had lost the gun he had which Eva had scooped up off the ground. She stood with the gun trained on Lydecker and Zane who were still grappling.  
  
"Stay away from her." Eva said with all the connotations of an order.  
  
Lydecker didn't like insubordination. He had another gun and he shot Eva in the chest. Eva fell to the floor the gun falling from her small hand.  
  
"Move." As he gave the command Zack and Jondy dragged Max down the hallway back towards the safety of the barracks. Tinga, Brin and Zane took up the flank making sure the guards did not follow them.  
  
Everyone in the guestroom froze when Zack issued the command to move. Still in the role of a good little soldier Braden/Bling moved to help Zack with Max.  
  
"Zack." Hannah yelled his name as Zack gave Braden/Bling a bunch of hand signals, which he couldn't really follow. "Halt X5-599. Snap out of it Zack."  
  
Zack with Braden/Bling's help began to move Max out of the room. Hannah stepped up to Zack.  
  
"X5-599, Zack, Zachary. Stop it!" Hannah struck him hard.  
  
Zack blinked hard and came crashing back to reality staring down at Max whose seizure had began to slow down only because she was losing consciousness. "Maxie." Anguish was evident in his voice. "I'm sorry." He held her closely.  
  
Max passed out in Zack's arms but do to the Valium it wasn't for long enough for her body to do anything more then barely recover from the seizure. Max gasped and came to her eyes flew open wide and she shot up to her feet attacking Braden/Bling and then Zack.  
  
"Everybody out!" It was an order no one dared to disobey as Zack grappled with Max.  
  
Max growled and freed herself from Zack's grasp and threw an unanticipated kick at his head. Zack swore and blinked seeing double. He didn't want to hurt Max but he had to defend himself.  
  
"You've been turned." Max struck out at Zack again. This time Max saw it coming and caught Max's arm putting enough pressure on it to cause her pain but just short of enough that was not necessary to break her arm. Max screamed but still tried to get out of the hold he had on her.  
  
"Max stop it." Zack pleaded.  
  
Max squirmed and pulled away from him. Zack winched as he heard her arm snap as she pulled away. Max screamed out in pain. She then snapped her arm back into position where she could use it again. She looked at Zack with a mixture of hatred, betrayal and pain in her eyes.  
  
"That's enough X5-452." Zack snapped and tried to restrain her.  
  
Max spun and bit down hard into the arm that held her. "Let go of me!"  
  
Zack swore holding his injured arm and backhanded her sending Max reeling across the room.  
  
   
  
Max recovered and threw the near by chair at Zack. "I will get out of here." She struck out at Zack hard. Zack fell. Max reached down and twisted up his leg with a resounding snap. "And you are not going to stop me."  
  
Zack screamed in pain and against his better judgement struck Max as hard as he could bringing both fists down on the back of her head, knocking Max out cold.  
  
Hannah came back into the wrecked room once there was silence. Both X5's lay in a heap.  
  
"She broke my leg." Zack whined in an awed voice. "I think I broke her arm. I had to knock her out for her own safety and mine." Zack looked as though he might cry. "I didn't want to hurt her but I had to stop her."  
  
"I think I've figured it out . . ." Hannah mused while she set Zack's ankle. It was his ankle Max had broken and not his leg. "The probe is trying to reactivate itself while Max's body is trying to reject it." Hannah gave Max a very potent sedative and Zack put Max back into bed.  
  
"What do we do now?" Zack looked miserable and exhausted when he joined Bling, Logan and Hannah in the main room.  
  
"We wait and see if the probe reactivates itself or if Max's body wins out and rejects the probe." Hannah answered.  
  
"I'm tired of waiting." Zack yelled. "We could take the probe out and help her now."  
  
"Not without leaving her with some residual brain damage." Hannah said shaking her head no.  
  
"I'm not willing to do that." Logan spoke up.  
  
"Are you enjoying the alternative?" Zack spat the words at Logan. "We can survive brain damage. It's been done before."  
  
"And you liked what happened to Locke?" Hannah challenged Zack.  
  
"Locke survived and even recovered." Zack shot back.  
  
"Locke was no better then an X2!" Hannah pushed.  
  
"Locke was not a nomalie!" Zack fumed. "He was different. They changed him." Zack couldn't remember if Hannah had helped with the procedure or not.  
  
"It was different. They purposely damaged Locke's brain to see if you could regenerate brain cells."  
  
"Exactly this is different. This is Max. Max is different. Max is strong. She's nothing like a nomalie. She's nothing like Ben or Locke."  
  
"Not yet." Hannah shook her head. "I won't do it."  
  
"Then I'll find the only man who will." Zack shot to his feet.  
  
Hannah shot her foot out at Zack's injured ankle. "You'll do no such thing soldier. Sit down Zack."  
  
Zack gasped and sat down not out of a sense of duty but from the sudden shot of pain that course through his body.  
  
"All we can do is make her comfortable and let nature take its course." Hannah said simply.  
  
Zack didn't like it; he wouldn't sit idly by if nature decided to take a wrong turn. Zack sat there brooding and thinking about Locke. Locke was their team's nomalie but he still wasn't a nomalie, just different. It was ridiculous to believe that there was nothing they could do for Max. Locke had been a normal X5 one of the perfect soldier like Brin. Locke was in the same age group as Brin, Tinga, and Zane and had the dedication lacking in some of the younger ones. The guards came into the barracks at 0300 hours when they were all supposed to be asleep. They sedated X5-137, Locke and took him out of his bed and the three disappeared into the night. Locke was taken in to the infirmary and had been missing from the barracks for close to two weeks.  
  
According to what Locke had told Zack, inside the infirmary Locke had been put under with an anesthetic and his buzz cut head had been waxed clean. A 'U' shaped incision had been mad across his forehead and up over his ears. The skin was pulled back and a four inch square section of skull was cut with a saw and removed from Locke's head. They dug a scalpel into Locke's brain and removed a section of his limbic lobe, which controls smell, taste, and emotional responses. They replaced the piece of skull, folded the skin back and stitched him back up. He spent two weeks recovering and fighting off infection under close observation and then was returned to the barracks.  
  
The others were surprised to see their brother back because they had given in to the thought that he must have been terminated in his four-week absence. They were very happy to get X5-137, Locke back but Locke had been changed. He was slower, more reserved yet more appt to snap and lash out and the guards seemed to allow him some freedom. He was allowed to lash out and wise cracks and nonsensical comments were tolerated from him. Locke came back to himself for the most part about seven months after the incident but he was never exactly the same as he was before it. His memories came back slowly but the whole process was very severe and extremely harsh.  
  
Locke made strange comments to the authority figures. He spoke to himself even when they were supposed to maintain radio silence. He spoke to and even named his fire arms. He constantly challenged Zack's authority. He could not be controlled, he laughed and cried freely many times for no reason that the others could detect. The whole group was threatened but Locke was fun in his own way. He'd steal cigarettes from the guards and smoke them on the barracks roof. He played games hiding things of importance from the authority figures. He had an obsession with sleeping in the nude. He ate with his hands and often complained of the blandness of the food or a smell none of the others could smell. He was allowed to let his hair grow long. It had previously been blonde but it grew in with a greenish tinge. The guards blamed that on the chlorine in the tank water but Locke just said it made him special.  
  
Locke had volunteered to be a distraction during the escape and had still managed to make it out of the complex himself. Zack had always watched Locke very closely. He dropped in on him about once a week to monitor his adjustment to the outside world. Locke was still adjusting but in the world he pulled himself off as a retro-punk due to his hair. Locke was prone to violent outbursts and got into street fights and bar brawls just for fun. He was a loose cannon. He was strange but he had recovered for the most part.  
  
Max was mentally stronger then Locke had been when they experimented on him. She was physically older now then he had been when it happened. Max would be okay if she had to do it now, Zack was sure of it. She was surrounded by friends and family and not by uncaring soldiers. She would think differently about it and recapture her individual adult identity. It was more important to Zack and Max that she recover than it had been with Locke. It wasn't that Locke wasn't important, all of the X5's were to Zack, it was just that he knew they could handle this better as adults then they had as children. Max would be able to regenerate her brain cells faster and would be in a safe well-adjusted environment. She would be okay if she suffered minimal brain damage now. Zack was certain of it and if push came to shove he would suck it up and do whatever it took to help Max survive this as un-scaved as possible. 


	8. I Remember You

Braden/Bling sat unmoving on the couch, his head in his hands, his breath coming in raged gasps. Zack came out o his ravine of thought and put a hand on his shoulder. Bling jumped. 

"Braden." Zack shook his head, "Uh, Bling, are you okay?"

Bling shook his head. "You guys amaze me. To have to grow up like that." He shook his head again, "It's awful and you were only kids."

"We didn't know any better." Zack shrugged. 

"Christ." Bling hung his head.

"By the grace of the Blue Lady." Zack corrected Bling with a smirk. "I know."

Logan's phone rang and all eyes turned to the answering machine. "You've reached the number you dialed leave a message." *beep*

"Hannah it's Lucas pick up if you're there."

Hannah dove for the phone after Logan nodded his consent to her. "Lucas what's wrong?" Hannah sounded panicked. 

"Nothing and everything." Lucas sighed. 

"What's wrong with Jace?"

"Nothing."

"Then why are you worrying me?"

"You knew didn't you?" Lucas pushed.

"Knew what?" 

"About Tinga ."

"Tinga ? No what are you talking about Lucas?" 

Zack's head snapped up at the mention of his sisters name. 

"She's an X5 who had a child already, almost five years ago now." 

"There's data on this?" Hannah asked and turned to Zack. "You knew about this?" 

"Yes." Zack sighed motioning for Hannah to give him the phone. "Let me talk to the kid." Hannah gave the phone to Zack. "Lucas?" 

"Zack?" Lucas laughed. "I remember you." 

Zack nodded and then realized that the boy couldn't see him. "Yeah. You were the only civilian that we ever had contact with." 

"I know but I was a reserved military child. Any talk of life outside the fence was allowed not that I knew much about it then." He paused. "So what do you know about Tinga ?" 

Zack sighed. "I guess the easiest thing to do would be to give you her number and let you and Jace talk to her Zack gave the boy Tinga 's number and then went to get off the phone. In the background he heard Jace . 

"That's got to be some sort of breach of protocol to withhold information from the person who used to be your information officer." Zack and Lucas both laughed. 

"Tell Jace I heard her and she's a brat." Zack laughed. 

"I heard you Zack, don't be a jerk." Jace answered. 

Hannah got back on the phone then to have Lucas update her on Jace 's condition which really hadn't changed since she had left. Zack listened in half heartedly. He cared about Jace's condition a great deal but he was too self-absorbed. He would have been depressed and confused if he had admitted to feeling anything about the situation at all. He could hardly believe that only three days earlier he had broken down and told Max that he was consumed by sentimentality. He had told her he loved her and then she'd fallen apart. He sure seemed to have a great effect on woman. It gave a whole new meaning to the term lady killer. Guilt. It was something new to Zack and he wasn't enjoying it at all. Zack sat and wallowed in guilt and self pity. Once the flood gates had been broken down that held back the feelings he had for Max everything else was allowed to flow as well. He had run the scenario over hundreds of times in his head and he had never seen it go this way, he never could have predicted Max's reaction. It was always the perfect fantasy in his mind. 'I love you Max.' Her eyes welled up with tears . 'I love you too Zack.' Then they left for Canada, left behind Manticore and Logan and everything else that stood in their way. He didn't expect her to be offended or hurt or frightened or ---. Zack's head snapped up and he looked around the room. Hannah was still on the phone, Logan was working on his computer doing god only knew what and Bling was looking out the window. None of them had moved or made the sound Zack had heard. That could only mean one thing. . . 

Zack bolted off of the couch and sprinted down the hallway only to be met at the guestroom door by a confused looking Max. "Zack where am I?"

"In the officers quarters complex Maxie ." He lied. 

"It's so different from the barracks the door isn't even locked." Max marveled. 

"Officers and doctors get treated differently then we do because they're so weak. Where were you going?" 

"I was looking for you Zack it's 1700 hours and it's an even numbered day so we're supposed to try and copulate again. Plus I needed to use the bathroom."

Zack missed a beat frozen by fear and confusion. "The bathroom is right over here Max." His voice rose as he said this. "I'll be waiting right outside." 

The moment the bathroom door shut someone tapped Zack on the shoulder and he jumped, his nerves were shot. He turned and signaled a greeting to Hannah and for her to remain silent. A strange sound coming from behind the bathroom door distracted him for a moment, a sound no one else could hear, and a sound that he couldn't identify. He then explained that Max was awake and that they needed some time alone. Hannah nodded and signaled she was glad Max was okay and then she turned and returned to the main room. Max came out of the bathroom then the sound of the flushing toilet announcing her arrival before the door opened. There stood Max and Zack simply gapped at her. "Max what did you do?" 

"Met with regulations. These doctors were letting my hair grow too long so I fixed it." Max tugged at Zack's spiky hair. 

"No more then two to three inches." 

Zack scoffed. Max had cut her own hair, this was going way too far. Her hair. Max's dark sea of ringlets. On the roof just days before he saw the wind whip Max's hair and she hugged herself close, then moved to his side for protection. Now all he could see was a young Max shorter then him with a freshly shaved head, deep drown eyes gazed up at him and a brief smile crossed her face as she reached up to stroke his head. He had swatted her away then but not before he returned the gesture of affection. Now this was a grown woman. A beautiful full figured woman who was no longer a little girl, stuck in her past. It was almost enough to make Zack want to cry. He covered up the emotion by reaching out to run his hand affectionately over her head. 

Max smiled and playfully ducked out of the way returning the gesture. Max then stepped forward and took Zack's hand in her own. "We don't want to breach protocol soldier," she said with a coy smile. "We're already late." She led him by the hand back into the guestroom shutting and locking the door behind her from the inside. 

Zack stood frozen by the door. He couldn't move. He didn't want it to be like this.

"Don't just stand there soldier, strip!" Max winked at him. "You know the routine."

Zack wanted more than anything to make love to Max but not like this. It further unnerved him when he looked up and saw that Max had taken those few seconds to strip down to her own undergarments. Zack's body responded to Max the way it should have but he couldn't bring himself to move or speak. Max took his hesitation as an open invitation. She stepped up to Zack and with little care and an X-5's speed she stripped him down to his black boxer briefs. He stood frozen like a rock with his body moving her warm, soft, slim yet strong and demanding hands. All he could think about was Max's hands running over his now bare skin. 

Her breath was warm and moist her lips soft and subtle as they grazed his ear. "Even without protocol I still need you Zack."

Zack was flat on his back with Max on top of him before he realized what was happening. On top of all of Max's pressing problems she was now in heat! Or maybe she only thought she was... 

"Max!" Zack's exclamation was one of surprise rather than anything else.

"Zack." She purred. 

"No, Max we can't." Zack tried to push her away. 

Max looked hurt. "Why not? This is perfect!"

Zack sighed. "That's the problem."

A look of fury in her eyes Max struck Zack full in the face and then kissed him passionately. Zack's eyes bulged and his lips burned and for a moment he couldn't have been happier no matter what the circumstances were. Above him Max suddenly stiffened and then her body went slack and she stiffened up just as quickly. Whit he bucking she screamed clutching the back of her head. She fled to the corner of the room and was sick. 

Hannah, Logan, Bling; one of them or all of them rushed the locked door. Their screams of concern mixed with Max's ones of pain. Their banging on the door mixed with the writhing of Max's body against the floor. For a moment Zack was at a loss of what to do. Max clawed at the spike at the back of her neck. Zack grabbed her holding her hands down at her sides so that she could do no more damage to herself. 

This was the scene Logan, Bling and Hannah burst in on. Logan of course had a set of keys to his own guestroom. The two soldiers and siblings were intertwined wearing only their undergarments. And Max had a look of severe pain on her face. 

"Zack what are you doing?" Hannah asked.

"How dare you attack her at all, let alone in this state!" Logan raged. "Step away from her."

Zack stammered trying to explain himself yet he stepped away from Max. He moved almost halfway across the room. Max let another harsh scream slip past her tightly clenched teeth as she racked her nails around the site she couldn't get a handle on. Her eyes pleaded and she turned to Zack oblivious to anyone else in the room. "Zack, help me." She tripped and fell trying to get to Zack.

Zack caught Max in his arms and turned the same pleading gaze on Hannah.

"Be careful and go slowly." Hannah answered his unspoken plea and handed him a pair of tweezers. 

Zack spun Max away from him and held her in one arm while using his free hand to grasp the spike with the tweezers. Slowly yet strongly as Max gazed with a daydreamers glare on the group in front of them, Zack gave a steady pull. Max's agonizing groan froze his hand and her labored breathing told Zack how much pain she really was in. Zack stopped and held his swooning sister up on her feet and thought about the probe. It was structured like a screw. He grasped the spike again and gave it a slight twist to the left. Max's body tensed and twitched but she showed him no signs of pain so Zack continued.

A few turns later Max squealed and pulled away from Zack's hands. She turned and stumbled and almost fell. "Logan." She managed to croak the word out. She deposited her falling body on to the floor her head resting in his lap. "I remember you." She mumbled.

Logan looked surprised. "You remember me, Max?"

"You are my prince. You take me away from the pain here. You helped me escape from my nurse and my brothers and sisters. You're always there on the bad nights."

Logan sighed. He had hoped that Max really had remembered him. "Yes my dear princess." He softly stroked her head.

With her head resting on Logan's knee Max began to sob and retch, but she was not sick, and she did cough up a little blood. "I don't want to die here."

Zack snuck up behind Max abandoning the clumsy tweezers. With his right hand her began to twist the probe to the left again. Logan kept on rubbing the peach-fuzz on Max's head and between the two hands Max couldn't tell the difference. She sighed content in her daydream saviors lap. 

Zack got to a spot where the probe was almost half way out of Max's head where the probe would not move anymore. Max called out in pain again so Zack stopped and took a step back.

Max shot up dizzy with terror in her eyes she looked from Zack to Logan. "My only salvation is in a childhood daydream." She spat the words out bitterly and curled herself around Zack. "You're all ruining it. Get out, get out, GET OUT!

Bling Logan and Hannah scattered and Max turned to Zack pushing herself up against him. No sooner had she done so then she started to convulse violently. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. "Zack I want this all to end. Make them stop." Max sat down on the floor and curled up in a ball, hugging her knees. 

"Max you need-" 

Zack didn't get to finish his thought because Max slumped backwards letting her head fall and smacking it hard against the ground. Zack hadn't been able to stop her. He felt weak and slow. He scooped her up anyway and put her back into the bed. He righted the overturned chair and sat down with his head in his hands. He couldn't take much more of it but now even he couldn't bear to see Max turn into a nomalie or a head case like Locke or Ben. He would have to put up with the painfully slow pace at which her own body was rejecting the probe. He was also glad that he didn't have to deal with the breeding partner scenario and Max's presumed heat cycle all at the same time. He was worried about her. He was more worried that f she suddenly came back to herself that she would choose Logan over him. 

He was trapped in shadows and fog just waiting for the next thing to happen. He didn't have control and Zack hated not being in control. There was nothing left for him to do but get dressed and watch over Max. He was tired of waiting yet he feared taking too drastic of an action where he might end up worsening Max's condition. Max's perspective on what might have happened if they didn't escape frightened him. She remembered too well all the lies they had told them would begin to become realities once the heat cycles had taken effect. Zack's ravine of thought was interrupted by what Max was doing. She was drilling herself in her sleep.

"There is no I in team. I stands for individual. Soldiers are not individuals. There are no individuals in a team."

Max tossed and turned and then started again. 

"Know your enemy better then yourself ... Deception is a weapon ... Surprise is a tactical advantage..."

Max continued on and on about family, mission, team, duty, discipline, courage under fire, never going back for a downed man and other things. Zack eventually tuned her out and returned to thinking about other things. It was hard hearing all the old lessons and it got him to thinking about the others. Braden, Lila, Brin, Ben, Eva, Jack, Locke, Jondy, Zane, Krit, Tinga, Jace, Ash, Syl, Luca, Gia, Alex, Kala and ten others. Thoughts of the past and the present meshed together. Was there a Sketchy, Cindy, Logan or Bling?

Zack shook his head. He was drained. Along with the throbbing in his injured arm and ankle there was an aching in his heart and a storm of confusion swirling around his head. He covered Max with a blanket and rested his head on her stomach joining her in the land of slumber. 


	9. Information Reconnaissance

Zack awoke to an ear-peircing scream, even more excruciating for and X5 then the normal ear. Jolted awake Zack moved to Max's bedside half between the world of sleep and wakefulness momentarily unsure of where he was. The machines and the unfamiliarity of Logan's guestroom to him helped him understand Max's own confusion. He took three deep breaths before he had his hand on her shoulders.

"It's okay Max I'm here."

"Zack?" It was a breathless question accompanied by a wide-eyed glare.

"What's wrong Maxie?" Zack asked as her body bucked under his grip.

Max whimpered and let another animalistic screech past her lips and she shot straight up in bed dragging Zack along with her. Zack saw the problem straight away, the pillowcase was drenched in crimson blood and a metallic gleam caught his eye. Max's body had rejected the probe with the help of what Zack had done the night before. Max's body was bucking but it wasn't really a seizure, more of a twitch. She writhed in pain and moaned but couldn't seem to form the words to answer Zack.

"Hannah!" Zack called the woman in and Bling and Logan followed her. "Out." With that simple word Zack banished the two other men and shut the door. He turned pleading eyes towards Hannah.

Hannah gestured helplessly for a moment before her instincts took over and she began hooking Max up to machines to be able to just do something. Max's vital were erratic and her EEC waves were off the wall. Hannah sedated Max but in the state she was in it was barely effective. It didn't even take effect anymore then the slightly calm her. It helped to slow her heartbeat and bring her breathing and pulse rate back to somewhat normal levels. During this time Zack passed the room and muttered to himself being able to do nothing more. It was driving him insane. Eventually the sedative and the stress on Max's body took its toll and she passed out/fell asleep. Zack couldn't move from the room even though Hannah stayed by Max's side incase anything went wrong. Zack kept vigil because there was nothing else he could do. He didn't enjoy feeling helpless so he stayed by her side. Seeing Max with that close cropped hair was almost too much to handle. Max as a grown up soldier, an X5 that never escaped. It made him think of Brin. Thinking of Max as Brin was unimaginable. Thinking of Max as X5-452 was painful. Max being anything other then Max was simply unacceptable.

Jace paced the length of the room as Lucas's hand rested on the phone.

"No don't do it. I think I should call her."

"Alright." Lucas stepped back.

Jace moved to the phone and then backed away from it like it was a live grenade.

"No. You do it. I ... I can't. It's been eleven years since I've seen her. I can't just call her out of the blue."

"I'll do it then." Lucas leaned over to reach for the phone.

"No!" Jace put her hand over his. "Fine you can call her but I want to talk to her eventually. We need to catch up."

Lucas laughed. "I think you're more of a gossip hound then-"

"They trained me to be an information officer. What you call gossip was my job." Jace bounced on the balls of her feet. "What are you waiting for? Call her."

Lucas dialed the number Zack had given them and Jace paced. The ringing phone was picked up and answered by a male voice. "Hello?"

"May I speak with T-" Lucas cleared his throat. "Lisa please."

"Who's calling?" A Male voice belonging to Charlie Tinga's husband asked.

"Dr. Lucas Geer."

"Hold on a second." Charlie was taking every precaution imaginable.

Jace could hear Charlie in the background talking to Tinga asking if she knew a Dr. Geer. Tinga said she didn't. Charlie came back on the line.

"What is this pertaining to?" Charlie asked.

In the background Jace heard Tinga repeating the name Lucas Geer a few times.

"Her sister." Lucas said simply.

"Lisa doesn't have any sisters only a brother."

In the background Jace hear Tinga mumble that she once knew a Lucas Geer.

"She had alot of brothers and sisters." Jace said out loud knowing that Tinga would hear her.

"Is Lisa there? Just put her on the phone please." Lucas pushed.

"Charlie it's okay, go check on Case." Tinga said in the background and then took the phone from her husband. "Who are you?"

"Lucas Geer, Tinga." Lucas answered using her real name as a show of power.

"General Ian Geer's son?" Tinga asked.

"Yes. Well Dr. Ian Geer actually. He was a civilian, part of the medical unit."

In the background Jace heard a door slam closed.

"Okay what are you doing calling me at my house? And which sister are you talking about? And why is she with you?" Tinga's voice sounded angry panicked and rushed.

"I wanted to talk to you about Case and one of your sisters."

"Leave my son out of this. How did you get this number?" Tinga pushed the question holding her ground.

"Zack gave it to me."

"You've seen Zack? He hasn't checked in on the voicemail system in almost a week. What's wrong with Zack?"

"Nothing's wrong with Zack."

"Then why am I talking to a doctor? Why am I talking to a kid I knew back in a place I'd rather not remember? Who's sick?"

"Max is sick and Zack's taking care of it, but that's not what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Yes you already said that you wanted to talk to me about my son and my sister, so what's going on? Who are we talking about here Lucas?"

"Jace."

"Jace?" Tinga almost dropped the phone and suddenly sounded panicked. "You're calling me from Manticore?" She spat out the last word.

"No. No." Lucas rushed to assure her. "Jace got out."

"No. Jace stayed behind the night we escaped." Tinga suddenly sounded choked up.

"Jace broke free. She got sent on a mission to terminate a doctor who was taking care of a friend of Max's. Max convinced Jace to go AWOL. I need to talk to you about the reason why."

"So get on with it." Tinga bristled.

"Jace is going to have a baby."

"She is?" You could almost hear the smile on her face in Tinga's voice before it quickly faded. "I don't believe you. Put my sister on the phone."

"Alright." Lucas grinned and handed Jace the phone. "Tinga wants to talk to you."

"I heard her." Jace took the phone. "Thanks Lucas." Jace turned away from the boy. "Hey big sister."

"Jace?"

"Yes Tinga it's me."

"Jace you-" Tinga choked on the open ended question.

"Yes I got out." Jace answered not wanting the first new memory she had of her sister to be hearing her cry.

"So you're going to have a child? Please say it isn't with your breeding partner." The disgust in Tinga's voice was evident.

Jace laughed. "No." Her voice grew dreamy. "Victor, he was on of the gurads, and I had a relationship. It actually made my breeding partner angry because he coulod always smell Victor on me."

"Then you were happy there?" Tinga sounded full of disbelief.

"Yes and I miss him terribly." Jace sighed. "How are Case and Charlie?"

"They're great and Case still doesn't have a bar code."

"He's free then. How old is he now?"

"Almost six. How far along are you?"

"About five months as far as I can tell."

"Just about to burst, huh?"

"What do you mean Tinga?"

"Well cat's go after 58-70 days, roughly four months. Normal's usually go in around nine months and Case came along at the end of the sixth month." Tinga cleared her throat. "Case is calling for me. Listen don't worry too much. If you need me you can always call. If you really need me I'll come visit."

"Really?" Jace smiled.

"Of course little sister. Oh and Vitamin B6 and ginger tea will help with the morning sickness. God I swear I was still getting sick for two weeks after Case was born. Just hang in there soldier."

"I missed you Tinga."

"I missed you too little sister."

"Do me a favor and don't forget about me?"

"I never did. Now cheer up and call me tomorrow around 1200 hours. That's an order Jace we've got alot of informing each other on years to get out of the way."

Both girls laughed. In the background Jace heard a door slam and a boy yell out 'Mommy I wanna eat now.' Along with Charlie's voice apologizing halfheartedly. Tinga/Lisa was going to have some serious explaining to do.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow Jace." Tinga said softly.

"Bye Tinga, I love you big sister."

"Me too lil'sis. Good-bye and good luck."

They both cut off the line of communication and Jace turned to Lucas with tears in her eyes. "Thank you."

"I didn't really do anything." Lucas protested.

Jace shook her head fighting off an onslaught of tears and then too them both by surprise by hugging Him. Then she stepped back.

"I, I'm sorry my emotions are all, well it's just hard, I-" Jace stammered.

"Jace there's no reason to apologize." Lucas hugged her back tightly. Jace almost collapsed against him her knees giving way a little. "Jace are you okay?"

"Too much excitement." She sighed. "First Max, then Zack, now Tinga and they all have real lives on the outside. They're my family again."

"So do you now Jace and they always were your family." Lucas guided her over to the couch. "You should rest you look exhausted."

Jace shrugged. "Tinga said Jace came along a little after six months."

Lucas smiled down at Jace. "Hannah wouldn't miss your child being born. That's why she didn't want to leave, but she'll be back in plenty of time."

Jace started to cry again. "She's doing her duty but I miss her."

Lucas took her hand and patted it. "You're not alone Jace."

Jace nodded and clung to Lucas's hand yet rolled away from him to try and rest. "Wake me in an hour or so?"

"Sleep well." Lucas stroked the back of her hand as Jace's eyes drifted closed.

Zack slowly came fully awake to a foreign sound. Confused yet again by his surroundings he sprang to his feet at full attention ready for some sort of attack. All he saw was the guestroom filled with the machines that were helping to keep Max alive. Then there was Max. Max with her short-cropped hair. Max dressed in one of Logan's oversized white tee shirts that came down to her knees reminiscent of a hospital gown. Max, who they had tied down to the bed, restrained for her own safety. Max who was staring straight ahead at the mirror which stood across from the foot of the bed on top of the dresser. Max who looked longingly out of the window while fighting her bonds.

Zack didn't know what to do or how she would react. Max's face was tearstained. Her lips were quivering. She stared wide-eyed at what she had become in the mirror. The hallow shell of her former shelf. Her eyes were sunken back in her head completely devoid of any emotion. Her normally dark complexion was ghostly pale. She focused in on her short-cropped hair and shook her head. Her body convulsed with a sob and then the tears began to flow again. Watching Max breaking down was breaking his heart and he was still powerless to do anything. Zack, big brother and protector was lost. He slowly moved back to her side sitting on the bed and softly taking her hand. Zack didn't know what to say he opened his mouth and locked gazes with Max only no words came out.


	10. Self ReConditioning

Max sobbed starring lovingly up at Zack, more respectfully then anything else and then violently pulled her hand away from his, anger etched in her features. She shook her head and her words came out bitterly.

"They finally got us back." A sick sarcastic smile played on her face. "Home sweet home."

Zack frowned still unsure of what to say and decided to go with the last thing he knew that Max remembered. "How are you feeling X5-452?"

"Don't call me that." Max hissed.

Zack allowed himself to smile, maybe she was on her way back. "Max," his voice softened, "how do you feel?"

"Like a truck ran me over." She scoffed and swallowed back another sob. "How do I look to you?"

"Perfect." The word slipped out of Zack's mouth before he had even thought of it.

"Like the perfect little soldier?" Max snapped.

"No, just perfect." Zack shook his head.

Max shook her head back. "Have I ever told you that you look like shit in camouflage?"

Zack bristled but still managed to smile. "No."

"Well good, remember it." Max gasped and lay back against her pillow out of breath. "Your re-conditioning doesn't seem to be going to well X5-599."

"What?" Zack got off of the bed and started to pace the room.

Max sighed and hung her head. "They're trying to turn you and you're conflicted."

"You don't seem to be doing so well yourself." Zack shot back at her without thinking. He had never been one to take being put down lightly, no mater what the circumstances.

"Whatever at least they are not torturing you yet." Max covered up a sob with a forced laugh. "At least I know I can still suck it up."

"No Max it's not-" Zack was cut off as the door to the guest room opened.

"How's our patient doing?" Hannah sounded falsely up beat as she entered the room.

Max stiffened and sat up with perfect posture in the bed. "Fine Ma'am." Under her breath too low for Hannah to hear, he lips barely moving, she hurled another insult at Zack. "I can't believe you of all people are letting this happen."

Zack shook his head and answered her in the same tone so that Hannah didn't hear. "I'm not."

"Oh, she's awake!" Hannah sounded surprised and went to check the printouts from some of the machines focusing on the EKG and EEC's. "Hey guy's she's awake." Hannah called out to the main room.

"Next thing you know they'll try and turn us into breeding partners. Lydecker always said we were the best of the best." Max continued so that only Zack could hear her.

Hannah's remark brought Bling and Logan hurrying into the room. Zack had little time to think about breeding partners or wonder if Max really had been starting a heat cycle earlier. The moment Bling entered the room Max gasped and froze. Her eyes went wide and her heart rate started to race.

This simply wasn't right. Max stared at the four people in the room in utter confusion. Zack and Hannah she knew should have been there but not Logan or Bling. Something in her mind reeled. Maybe Manticore had found out that Logan was Eyes Only. The man standing next to Logan must not have been Bling but her brother Braden instead.

"Max." Logan said his voice full of concern and adoration. "Good to see you awake again."

"Max." The man standing next to Logan smiled. "Glad to have you back."

That left no doubt in Max's mind the man was not Bling Logan's trusted friend, bodyguard and physical therapist, but her brother Braden. His stance and identical dress to Zack gave it all away. Maybe Logan really was her prince and all the memories she had of him were a dream and an illusion. It could have been a new technique that Psy. Ops. Was using, dream manifestation with the help of enlisted civilians. It could all be another ploy to try and break her so that they could recondition her. Max wasn't going to play their little game though.

"Logan." Max looked slightly relieved and relaxed, smiling as she spoke his name and reclined against the pillow behind her.

She nodded a greeting to Braden/Bling and focused all of her attention on him. "Hey… Braden… Bling?" She spoke to him in a tone that only Zack and the true Braden could have possibly heard. "It's good to see you too." She spoke the last part at a normal volume.

Logan broke into a wide grin thinking her wishes were directed solely at him.

Zack knew different as Bling caught Max's nod and returned it with a nod of his own. Zack longed to bring Max back so badly. He too turned his attention to Bling. "Bling can you go and get Max a drink?"

Bling nodded softly. "She's been through a lot. Would you like a glass of milk Max?"

Max stiffened another small gasp escaped her and her heart rate jumped, speeding up again. "Yes. Thank you… Bling."

Her hesitation was caught by all in the room. The moment that Bling left the room Max collapsed back against the pillow, her breathing ragged from holding a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. The exertion of simply identifying the man and maintaining her composure on the outside seemed almost too much for Max.

Hannah picked up on it with the aid of her instruments, it was something that Zack could discern from the tension in her posture and the sound of her heartbeat, Logan could tell from the look of fear and confusion in her eyes. The second Bling came back and set the glass on the night stand Max's anxiety returned.

Max greedily gulped the milk as if she'd just tracked through the desert to an oasis. Inside her head her mind was torn between Bling and Braden. Inside her chest her heart was torn between Logan and Zack. She still wasn't even sure exactly where she was. Her hands shook slightly and she yawned despite her bravado.

"I think our patient needs her rest." Hannah spoke up.

"Don't leave me?" Max spoke up softly and all four people in the room froze.

"Never." Zack spoke up clearing his throat.

"Of course not!" Logan smiled down at her.

Bling just nodded and grinned warmly not moving from his place at her bedside.

Both Zack and Logan reached for one of Max's hands. Max violently pulled away from both of them.

"Hannah, please." Max yawned again her eyes watering.

Hannah nodded. "Everyone out for now."

Max relaxed as the three men filled out of the room and within moments was sound asleep again.

Zack passed the living room while Bling headed into the kitchen. Logan was about to follow his friend but stopped in front of Zack blocking his path.

"Zack I-"

"Look Logan, don't." Zack snapped cutting Logan off as he flopped down on the couch completely exhausted. Logan's words caught in his throat at the harshness of the boys words.

Bling spoke up from the kitchen. "I think Hannah has things under control for now. I'm going to duck out and head home for a while. I'd like to get out of these urban fatigues and take a shower."

Shook from his momentary fatigue and anger Zack rose to meet Bling in the kitchen. "Listen Bling I appreciate everything you've done-"

"Don't mention it Zack. I'd do anything for a friend. I'll see you both a little later." Bling was definitely still shaken by his swift Manticore makeover.

"Yes Bling, thank you. You'll be back for dinner?" Logan asked from the hallway.

"Of course. See you all later." Bling nodded at Zack and then let himself out of the apartment.

Logan turned back to Zack who pushed past him and made his way back into the living room. "Zack."

"Logan." Zack curtly cut him off again and yawned. "I'm beat. I'm going to go crash on your couch."

"Feel free." Logan nodded taken aback by Zack's sudden and drastic change in demeanor. Logan also knew that this was the closest the boy had ever come to admitting a weakness that didn't directly concern Max. Logan reasoned that he had some work to do anyway. Sebastian would want to see the probe to conclude whether or not being inside an X5 host had changed it at all. After all the probe did originally belong to Sebastian. Logan also knew that Hannah would want to get back in contact with Lucas and Jace, so he gave up on having a talk with Zack at the moment. For now he would let the boy catch up on his rest.

Logan contacted Sebastian and told him that he wanted him to examine the probe. Sebastian nearly jumped at the chance to compare the data he had from the probe he had before Max had stolen it, with the one extracted from Max's head. But since Bling had left, Zack was sleeping and Logan didn't want to leave Max, he had no way of delivering the probe to Sebastian. A light bulb went off in Logan's mind and he leaned over and picked up the phone.

"Jam Pony Express." Logan recognized Normal's distinct voice.

"This is Logan Cale, I need to schedule a pick up and delivery of a package." Logan gave Max's boss the details. "Would it be too much to ask to have Cynthia McEachin um, Original Cindy take the run?"

"I can't guarantee it Mr. Cale." Normal started to answer but from her spot by the lockers with Sketchy and Herbal Original Cindy heard him.

"Hey Normal, Max's Boo Logan needs something delivered?" Original Cindy asked making her way to the counter.

Amazed that he actually had one of his slacker employee's full attention Normal nodded from behind his dispatch desk. "Mr. Cale says it's a priority rush package."

""Well then Original Cindy's got herself a hot run." Original Cindy leaned up against the counter. "Draw up the paper work Normal. Original Cindy knows where the pick up is at."

"Mr. Cale it's all set up. How is Max doing?" Normal asked lowering his voice.

"Are you asking when you can expect her back at work?" Logan tried not to snap at the man on the other side of the phone.

"No Mr. Cale I'm asking how Max is doing."

Logan sighed. "There really hasn't been much of a change."

"That's a shame." Normal clicked his tongue. "Tell her we miss her here. Cynthia will be by to pick up the package soon. Have a good night Mr. Cale and thank you for choosing Jam Pony."

Logan shook his head and hung up the phone.

"Normal." Original Cindy sighed tapping her foot. "Bip, bip bip." Original Cindy made a face like she had sucked on a lemon, concern had her quoting her boss. "Priority rush means hustle with that paper work."

Normal simply shook his head and handed Original Cindy the run sheet which she basically tore from his hand once he'd signed it and she hauled ass out of the building.


	11. Wading Through the Darkness

Zack woke up at least four hours after he had fallen asleep, he knew because his body was still a little tense but his mind felt as if the fog from his earlier drinking and Max's attack on him had permanently lifted. The sound of four comfortingly familiar voices snapped him from whatever veil of grogginess his nap had left him with, now instantly alert. The four distinct voices began to differentiate and he realized that Logan must have set up a conference call between Hannah, Jace, Lucas and Tinga. In the din behind the close conversation he could hear the sounds of Logan and Bling working on dinner.

"I told you I was fine." Jace's voice came across with an angry protest but she sounded extremely tired to Zack's well trained ear.

"I know and I trust you and Lucas, I just wish I was there." Hannah answered.

"I told you I could handle this." Lucas quipped.

"Max needed you more." Jace sighed.

"I could visit her if it would put you more at ease." Tinga offered. "I could always tell Charlie I had a family emergency."

"That would be great." Jace actually sounded excited.

Both Lucas and Hannah voiced they're opinions and agreed that it might be for the best.

"Zack's not going to like it." Jace spoke up and sighed passing on the warning to all involved.

"Big brother doesn't need to know." Tinga suppressed a laugh.

"Big brother knows best." Zack spoke up loudly from his place on the couch as he moved to stand behind Hannah. "And as long as you're both discrete and keep your guard up, it seems like a well thought out solution. At least until Hannah can return to Jace's care."

"Zack?" Both Tinga and Jace sounded relieved to hear his voice yet confused by his answer. It didn't seem very Zack like.

"I should have thought of it sooner actually." Zack was troubled by the yawn which escaped his lips betraying his weakness. "Keep Hannah and I posted and do not extend the visit longer then it is safe, or needed."

"Thank you Zack." Jace sounded grateful and relieved.

"You're the Best Zack." Tinga continued to finalize the plans with Lucas and Jace while Hannah disconnected from the call and returned to sit next to Zack who had taken his place on the couch again. 9;

"Are you alright soldier?" She said it with the kindest of smiles but it felt degrading and like mockery to Zack.

"I'm fine." Zack bit off his reply.

"I didn't tell you to report soldier, drop the bravado Zack. Are you okay?" Hannah pushed for an answer.

"I'm fine. Max is the one we should be worrying about." Zack's voice sounded worn and stressed but less harsh.

"Don't lie to me Michael." Hannah spoke up softly and Zack actually stiffened.

"Don't call me that. No one calls me that anymore, not for a very long time." Zack sounded almost sad. Hannah used to say that Zack reminded her of her son Michael. She had called Zack Mike when she had taken care of him for the first one and a half years that he was alive. Hannah had been Zack's sole watcher until the second set of X-5's that were to be added to his unit had survived. She had secretly called him Mike up until he was six and the youngest were three and all of the children had been moved to the barracks. That was a big part of the reason that Zack really secretly did like when Max chose to give them all names, but it was his rank and responsibility that made him need to protest the decision initially. Being called Mike by Hannah for so long was what lead him to use the alias of Michael Hannover for so many years once he was on the outside.

"But I can call you that Mike." Hannah teased him.

"Please don't. Not in front of anyone." Zack sighed. "I'm tired Hannah."

"That's a good start on how you are…" Hannah rested a hand on Zack's knee. "You look it."

"How is your son?" Zack asked relaxing a bit and leaning against Hannah.

"I have no one left besides you to call Mike now." Hannah sighed. Both her son and her husband had both been Michael's and Manticore had found a way to take them both away for her defying them and helping the X-5's. Hannah was silent with a far away look in her eye.

"I'm sorry Hannah." Zack spoke softly. "Have you looked in on Max tonight?"

"She was sleeping soundly earlier when I looked in on her, so were you then." Hannah grinned lightly, it looked almost forced.

"That's good." Zack nodded curtly and stifled another yawn. "I'm glad you came. It's good you were looking out for Jace too." Zack offered her a small grin of his own.

Hannah shifted so that Zack's head rested in her lap and she toyed absentmindedly with his hair. "I always cared for all of you."

"Thank you for that." Zack yawned, the stroking of his head lulling him back to sleep. Hannah had gone beyond just the job of watcher years ago.

Just then the door bell rang. Logan started out of the kitchen and froze for a moment catching Zack in yet another moment of weakness. He shook himself from the slight shock as the door bell sounded yet again. Earlier when Zack had napped was the first time Logan had seen the boy sleep since he had arrived here. Zack must have been exhausted even for an X-5. Logan sighed, for such a young man Zack had a big burden taking care of the twelve others if they were anything like Max. He moved to the door signaling Hannah who had begun to rise to stay where she was. Logan opened the door to see Original Cindy standing outside of it.

"Jam Pony pick up Mr. Cale." Original Cindy grinned playing cute but Logan wasn't in the mood for games.

"Here you are Cindy." Logan handed her the package with the probe inside of it. The he took the clipboard from her to sign so that he knew Max's girl would get paid for the run.

She shifted her weight leaning against the door jam. "Original Cindy can see Max's bro is whipped out, but how are you holding up?"

"As good as to be expected." Logan shrugged. "I appreciate everything you've done."

"Just get my boo back on her feet and back to her old wise crackin' self and we'll call it even." Original Cindy reached out and hugged Logan lightly and then turned on her heals and headed for the elevator. "Thanks for the over time Original Cindy'll get this to it's destination as quick as her legs can peddle if it'll help my boo."

Logan nodded. "Thank you Cynthia." He called out down the hallway as he shut the penthouse door.

At the sound of the door shutting which sounded very much like the door slamming to the on edge ear of the X-5, Zack bolted wide awake. He sat upright on the couch jostling Hannah. He was instantly alert cursing his weakness as of late.

"It's okay Zack." Hannah spoke up softly and tried to reassure Zack.

Not truly reassured Zack nodded wide eyed and sighed lightly. Something had been bothering him plaguing the back of his mind, all of this time and it had not originally been the probe. Zack pushed himself up to a real sitting position feet firmly set on the floor.

"Logan?" Zack ran his hands over his face and up through his hair before he raised blood shot eyes to look at the older man. The pick up that Original Cindy had just made jogged his memory.

"Yeah Zack?" Logan brought his chair to a stop on the opposite side of the coffee table facing Zack and Hannah.

"Do you still have that trigger?" Zack yawned and lifted a foot to roll his still painful ankle which popped loudly making Logan winch and Hannah jump.

"The what?" Logan raised and eyebrow.

"That mailing envelope." Zack sighed his mind clearing from the alcohol educed fog… wine was not good for strategic thinking. He wasn't even going to acknowledge the effect that bringing down the walls and divulging his feeling to Max had on his mind. "I want to get another look at the address on it."

Logan went over to one of his filling cabinets and pulled out the envelope tossing it to Zack. Emptied of the weight of the tape it barely made it halfway in-between them before fluttering to the floor.

Zack snatched the envelope from the floor. "Addressed to Don Lydecker from Deck Donaldson both residing at 3371 Uranium St. That's in the warehouse district near the waterfront isn't it?"

Logan thought for a second visualizing a map. "It sounds like it should be in the Terminal City limits, but yes I think it is out on the waterfront."

Hannah let out a small gasp at the sound of both names on the envelope. "What is that?"

Zack realized that both he and Logan were off of their game. They had told Hannah all about the probe but nothing about what had originally drove Max to force herself to forget.

"This," Zack thrust the envelope at Hannah, "along with some ill timed questioning about her barcode, confused Max and she forced herself to forget everything."

"Except her full barcode number." Hannah nodded. "She always had a problem with that in Psy. Ops."

"That started it. Then the probe and the fever compounded it all-" Logan started.

"And then you came to me." Hannah nodded. "What was in it?"

"A tape." Zack gave a curt answer.

"This." Logan said and at the same time started the tape for Hannah to see.

Hannah frowned chewing on her bottom lip watching the images fly by. "SO you just opened it?"

"No. I checked it first. It was safe. No chemical or pheromonal residue on it either." Zack hopped to his feet and began passing again.

"This is not good." Hannah said softly her frown deepening.

"I know. Seeing the tape didn't really seem to bother Max though." Zack bristled biting off his reply.

"Logan." Bling stuck his head out of from the kitchen. "When did you say the duck needed to be glazed?"

"I almost forgot." Logan jumped and made his way into the kitchen. He was making a small celebratory dinner of sorts over the stride they had made in getting Max back.

Zack leaned over and turned off the tape, Hannah had seen all she needed to see.

Hannah toyed with the envelope in her hand running a finger over the coarse writing. "He could have done this you know… it sort of looks like his scrawl."

"Lydecker's been here for a while now." Zack simply shook his head and ended up holding it in his hands again. "Lurking… there's a base in this state. Max refuses to leave even though there's a danger." He made a gesture to the kitchen. "It's where they took Brin."

"Brin?"

"Progeria ." Zack swore and shook his head. "She choose to go back there rather then die, but it all seems the same to me."

"Alive, you can still get her out."

"The Brin I knew is dead."

"Not dead, changed, different. Is Jace dead?" Hannah sat down again.

"You know damn well what I mean." Zack snapped. He turned his back on her and hopped up on the windowsill.

"Zack do you really want to do something about this?" Hannah rustled the envelope.

"Yes." Zack gave a curt answer and a curt nod of his head.

"You could be walking into a trap." Hannah sighed.

"Yes. One set for Max. And you don't need to tell me, it just slipped my mind for a moment." Zack snapped.

"Your heads not in the game. You shouldn't go alone."

"I'll be fine. I'm always fine." Zack pressed his head up against the glass watching the rain.

"Anyone else close by?"

Zack scoffed. "Locke is the closest."

"You were really going to let me drag Jace into all of this?"

"She's a soldier. She's had more training then any one of us."9;

"And what about baby Max?"

Zack banged his head against the glass almost loud enough to shatter it and he sighed ignoring the implications of that question. "Jondy and Zane are close enough. Jondy couldn't handle… this. Locke is to erratic and unpredictable. He never took orders well. Zane would work nicely. He's almost a day away by car." Zack spoke softly almost to himself before acknowledging what Hannah had really said. "I'll call him and I Should check in on Max."

Hannah sniffed the air. "It smells good. She is you can get her to eat something."

"Logan is a good cook." Zack nodded hoping from his perch on the window sill and heading down the hallway and into the guest room.

"Max?" Zack slowly opened the guestroom door.

Max had disconnected herself from all of Hannah's machines and had her forehead pressed against the glass of the window.

"Maxie." Zack's voice softened as he entered the room leaving the door ajar so that the sent of Logan's cooking could filter into the room. "Are you hungry?" It was a simple question and Zack really didn't know where else to start but he wanted to scoop her up into his arms and never let anything hurt her ever again.

Max shook her head no silently her back still turned to Zack but the smell reached her nose and her stomach growled betraying her. "A little." Her voice was horse and hallow devoid of any life or emotion.

"Logan whipped up one of his culinary master pieces, roast duck. Where he found a duck I don't even want to ask… but he thought you'd enjoy it." Zack laid a hand on her shoulder. "You should eat, try and build your strength back up."

Max nodded mutely. Zack got Max to come out and at least attempt to eat. She sat there silently while the others kept up a light lively banter designed to make her fell more comfortable. She picked at her food and ate a little but her eyes never lifted from her plate. She excused herself once they were done eating saying she was tired.

After she had gone back into the guest room Zack picked up the phone and dialed Zane's cell phone number. Zane didn't answer and Zack made a face hating having to leave him a voice mail. "Zane I have a situation and I need you to come back me up." Zack went on to tell him to come alone, tell no one and follow all of the usual precautions. He gave Zane directions to Logan's and ended the message by telling Zane, "It's important Zane. I need you here yesterday." Enforcing the urgency before he cut of the communication."


	12. Congregation

AN: See it goes like this … I got an email from someone actually asking about this story, found some old notebooks, typed and update. And pray that RL lets me make the next one sometime this year, J/K really wanting to update now that I know people want to see more. J

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He ducked and weaved in his camouflage fatigues in and out of the trees. He was leading a team of seven through the exercise. He gave some quick hand signals before diving over a line of shrubs and landing in a make shift fox hole next to his S.I.C. He heard a rush of air and turned his head rolling his shoulder to avoid the projectile as it whizzed by his ear.

"Cover me." He popped up out of the fox hole and fired off a full round of ammunition before ducking to re-load and adjust the amber goggles that covered his eyes. All but three of the pellets hit their intended targets. He had to keep up the pretence of being normal as he took a pellet in the shoulder and made a face like it stung, pink spreading where it hit it's mark.

"Nice shot." His S.I.C. winched as he saw his friend take one in the shoulder.

His eyes went wide for a moment as another buzz caught him off guard. He wore and reached into one of the many pockets in his pants fishing out his cell phone. It was the vibrating message alert that had caught him off guard. "Dan I need to check this. Count me out for the rest of this round."

"No problem Zane." Dan flicked Zane a mock salute as Zane hauled himself out of the ditch.

Zane flipped out his cell phone and listened the message under the cover of some tree's. Then he listened to the message again. His leisurely game of paint ball was over along with his weekend of relaxation. He made his way back to the trench he had left his co-worker and best friend in.

"Hey Dan. Something big came up. I gotta jet."

"Ah, Zane I hate to see you ditch out. See you in the shop on Monday."

Zane shrugged, the garage camping trip was through for him. "I may be taking a long weekend."

"Something wrong?" His friend asked concerned.

"Family emergency." Zane sighed and shook his head.

"Anything I can do to help?"

Zane shook his head no. "I'll be seeing you Dan." Zane said by way of good-bye if he never saw his friend again. And with those parting words he took off trudging double time until he reached his Jeep.

Tinga passed the living room of her house surrounded by things that reminded her of her knew family. Charlie had taken Case to the park. Penny needed to tell her family that she had a family emergency that neither of them would understand fully. How do you tell your husband that your twenty one year old sister who really isn't your sister was alone and pregnant and needed your help? She sighed. Penny had to ground herself in this reality and calm herself before her boys got back from the playground.

"Mommy!" Case banged through the front door too soon.

Tinga jolted back to Penny. She scooped up her son into her arms and smothered the young boy in kisses before setting him down again. "Did you have fun Case?"

"Yes Mommy. Daddy and I built a big sand castle like in your princess stories." Case beamed up at her.

"Be a good boy and go wash up before lunch your hands are dirty." Penny ruffled her sons hair before he scampered off to the bathroom.

"Charlie we need to talk." Penny turned to her husband slipping back into soldier mode.

"Penny what's wrong? Does it have anything to do with that strange call you got yesterday?" He leaned in to hug her tightly.

Penny stiffened and nodded pulling away from Charlie. "I need to go away for a while."

"You never told me you had a sister. Only that older brother Michael." Charlie sounded hurt.

Penny sighed. "She's my sister from another mother."

"Like a step sister?"

"Kind of yes. She's only twenty one, she's pregnant, she's alone and she's scared. She asked me to come spend a week or so with her."

"A family emergency." Charlie nodded and sighed. "And you've been through it already. You'll take your cell phone and call if anything goes wrong or if you need my help?"

"Of course I will." Penny smiled and hugged her husband. She'd need to call if she was needed to spend more time with Jace too.

Just then Case ran back into the room displaying his hands palm up to Penny. "All clean." He spun his hands in front of her as if to prove it. Penny smelled soap. Case glowed with childish pride. "What did you make for lunch?"

Penny answered her son then sighed knowing that having to tell him she'd be leaving for a while would be hard, but it was the safest way.

Zack passed the apartment and then stopped abruptly starring at the door with his head cocked to listen. Someone was outside. He blurred to the door and threw it open before the person on the other side had reached it. He pulled the other man inside and looked him up and down deciding weather her was a friend or foe in mere seconds and a nodded greeting won out over attacking him.

Zack scowled at the man who could have only been a year and a half younger then he was. He stood just inside the penthouse door only a few inches shorter then Zack, dressed in camouflage pants and a black tee-shirt. He was wearing a padded vest, knee and elbow pads, combat boots and a pair of amber tinted goggles rested atop his head. Those bright green eyes were still the same and pin straight strawberry blonde hair hung down to his shoulders. His attire was splattered with bright pink paint and some of it still clung to his hair. There was no mistaking who he was.

"You said you needed back up so I took off as soon as I got your message. Sorry I wasn't here yesterday." He tugged at the end of his tee-shirt as he spoke in way of an explanation. "It's good to see you Zack." He ran a subconscious hand through his hair and offered his big brother a coy smile.

"Zane what the hell were you doing?" Zack bit off his question but there was something about his younger brother that always made him smile. He shook his head and the grin was gone.

"The guys at the garage talked me into a round of paint ball at our bi-monthly picnic." Zane tore the goggles from his head and fiddled with them.

"We need to get you out of those clothes." Zack gave Zane a curt manly hug, the two of them patting each other on the back.

Zane quirked a brow. "I thought we had a mission?"

"It can wait. I need to bring you up to speed on the situation that brought us both here first." Zack stepped back and shut the apartment door.

Zane got his first good look at the place and stiffened realizing that a table full of people were looking his way. A built black man, a female doctor, a man in a wheelchair, he had their undivided attention and it was not at all flattering. Their hard gazes made his skin crawl, too much attention. Zane's eyes dropped to the tip of his muddy boots and he began to struggle out of them and the armor. "Who are your friends Zack?"

Zack pointed to each person at the table in turn. "That's Logan Cale, this is his place."

"Nice digs." Zane grinned and nodded politely.

"That's Bling, a trusted acquaintance and I think you remember Hannah."

Zane froze and his head snapped up locking his gaze on the woman. He had been crouched in the midst of unlacing his boots. His reaction came across slowly almost dimwittedly. "No way…"

Hannah laughed softly and nodded then rose to her feet and came to stand in front of Zane. "There was always something calming about those eyes of yours Zane."

She spoke softly but Zane reacted as if she'd screamed and jumped back softly smacking into the wall behind himself landing on his rear, his head thudding against the wall. His eyes rose to meet Zack's as if he needed an affirmation to the truth. Zack caught Zane's gaze and simply nodded.

"How?" Was all Zane could muster after leafing out a breath he didn't even know he was holding.

"It'll all come across when I brief you." Zack sighed. They were all getting too much information on each ether for his liking, like Tinga and Jace who he'd both have to re-locate soon. It all seemed to be snowballing too fast for him to control and he hated the threat it was creating for all of them. Zack hated not being in control.

"Hannah." Zane twitched lightly something only Zack and maybe Hannah could have picked up on. A million tiny points of light, all flashbacks, hit the back of Zane's closed eyelids.

"It's alright." It was Hannah's soft voice that reassured Zane but it was Zack's strong grip he felt on his shoulder.

"Yeah." Zane scoffed softly. "No big deal. It's alright."

Zack sighed and nodded lightly offering Zane a hand up. "Come on, little brother. I'm sure I have something that will fit you-"

"I've got a spare set of normal garb in my tote." Zane cut Zack off. "Where's the bathroom in this place?"

Zack pointed Zane in the right direction.

Zane came out of the bathroom moments later dressed in a plain white tee-shirt, acid washed blue jeans and a black leather jacket. He sat on the couch next to Zack pulling a pair of drum sticks from his back pocket and started twirling them. "Who else is here Zack?"

"What do you mean?" Zack cocked his head playing coy.

"I can smell her and it's not Jondy or Syl." Zane kept a 'basic' beat in a 13/17 time signature on the sole of his left boot which was crossed over his knee.

"Max." Zack sighed her name.

"Maxie is here?" Zane's eyes lit up, he had not seen his littlest sister since the night of the escape over eleven year ago.

"Yes and that is what I need to brief you on." Zack watched Zane's hands fly the drum sticks lightly bouncing off the top of the coffee table now. "You thinking of starting a band Zane?"

"Yeah." Zane nodded earnestly. "I want to call it Mythical Manticore." He couldn't keep the smile out of his voice, then he shook his head and scoffed. "It helps keep me focused. So what's the deal with Max?"

Zack sighed and began to fill Zane in on the situation which had brought them both here. Half way through this mini-briefing Zane's hands grew still, the drumsticks falling silent and left forgotten on the table top. He moved to writhing his hands instead. When Zack had come to an end in his briefing Zane spoke up in a hushed voice.

"No wonder you wanted me to change. Me wearing urban camouflage and faux assault riot gear would not have helped her condition any." Zane stole another glance at the people around the kitchen table his gaze falling on Bling. "He does kind of bare a striking resemblance to Braden if Braden was grown up.:

The last time Zane or any of them had seen Braden was in the exercise that injured Braden and sent him to the infirmary preventing him from joining the escape.

Zack nodded. "That's why I used him. Max had begun to question why none of the others were coming to visit her."

Zane nodded and sighed Zack had told him all about the feelings he held for Max, though most of them had an inkling of their feelings towards each other even when they were children. Zane had been one of the three 'go to' guys when they were back at Manticore. The others went to Zack if they had and tactical or protocol questions, they came to Zane with all their emotional issues and concerns, and the girls went to Tinga for all things female related. If they had a question that none of these three could come up with an answer to they took the concern to Ben, he could always explain the unexplainable or irrational things. Zane sometimes hated being a 'go to' guy.

"Do you want me to go in and check on Maxie?" Zane asked the question which did not need to be asked.

"Yes." Zack said in a more normal tone. "Keep her grounded."

Zane simply nodded. Then he ran his hand through his tussled bangs, squared his shoulder and vaulted off of the couch. "I'd ask you to wish me luck but . . ."

Zack closed his eyes for a moment then offered a weak grin up at his younger brother. "You don't need it now."

"Thanks." Zane quipped with a cocky smile as Zack as he offered his brother a backhanded salute and sauntered down the hallway.

Zane stopped just outside of the guestroom door. "Maxie?"

"What is it now?" An exasperated and exhausted voice snapped at him.

"Can I come in?" Zane rapped lightly on the door.

"Fine."

Zane eased open the door and stopped just inside after he had let it close lightly behind him. Max lazily turned her head to the side, squinting up at who she had expected to be Zack. She blinked hard and gasped then shot up off of the pillow.

"Zane?"

"Hey Maxie!" Zane perched sitting on top of the back of the chair, crouched with his feet up on the seat. He couldn't keep the smile from his lips or the sound of his voice. "Long time no see!"

"Zane!" Max flew at him and gave him such a strong hug that he almost toppled backwards off of the chair.

"Max." He held her tightly taking in all that his little sister had become, while making sure that their combined weight did not knock them over. "Enough with the roll call." He grinned down at her running his hand over her close cropped hair and keeping his face impassive, while inside it tore at him. "How have you been?"

"I feel like a truck ran me over." Max sighed.

"That's understandable … your nervous stem must be shot."

Max simply nodded and returned to her place on the bed with a winch she tried to pass of as a sigh. "What about you?"

"I miss Millie." Zane confessed.

"Millie?" Max echoed with a look of slight confusion.

"My German Shepherd." Zane pulled a picture from his wallet to show to Max. "She's going to have puppies."

Max managed a light giggle. "Just like Jace."

"Jace?" Zane raised an eyebrow taking Max's hand. "What do you mean?"

"Yeah." Max's voice was hoarse and her face was pale but her eyes shown with the life and intensity that Zane remembered in his littlest sister. She licked her lips and cleared her throat and then launched into her story. Accenting her words with lavish hand gestures. "Logan was seeing this doctor who used to work for Manticore, long story there … but anyway Jace had been sent out on a deep cover mission to assassinate the doctor for deserting Manticore. At this time the doctor was Logan's only hope so I fought Jace. She collapsed. We found out she was pregnant from a Manticore lab tech named Victor. I talked her into deserting in order to save herself and her child. She's going to have a baby."

Zane smiled warmly. "It's good to hear that Jace finally ended up on the right side of the fence."

"Zane." Max spoke softly. "I'm scared."

"Don't be Maxie, you seem to be recovering nicely and you're safe in Hannah's capable hands." Zane reached out to rest his right hand over Max's left one.

"That's not what I meant … Zack briefed you I suppose?"

Zane simply nodded. "You can't avoid them forever Maxie. These things have a way of working themselves out."

Max sighed. "Careful Zane that's what Ben used to think."

"And Ben was almost always right." Zane nodded his eyes shinning with brief memories of one of his best friends. "There's always been something different, something special between you and Zack even when we were only children."

Max sighed remaining silent and shifting her position on the bed avoiding meeting Zane's gaze.

"He's always cared for you." Zane continued.

"I know that." Max sounded almost exasperated again so Zane let the topic drop, she didn't need any added stress right now. "Jace is going to name her baby after me."

Zane nodded but was quiet for a moment. Zack had conveniently left out everything about Jace in his briefing. He was probably still worried about exposure even within the family. That was the same reason he'd tried to keep them all apart for so very long. "It'll be nice to have a little niece or nephew. Our little family is finally growing."

"We already have a nephew." Max grinned like the cat that had caught the canary, eyes twinkling happy to give away another family secrete with Zack so close by. These were things they all needed to know to survive.

"We do?" Zane asked bewildered. This fell under the category of things that on a need to know basis were not need to know information as far as Zack was concerned.

"Yeah. A little boy named Case, he's Tinga's son. He'll be five soon and he's perfect. Born without a barcode and with about half of an X-5's abilities. It's pretty impressive considering that his father is normal."

"That is great to hear." Zane nodded. He'd have to remember to try and track down Tinga and bring Jondy with him when he paid her a visit.

"Do you know anything about the others?" Max's eyes had grown wide with excitement.

Zane nodded. "Since the escape I've run into Krit and Syl and Ben and Jondy."

"Jondy's alright?" Max squeaked tears springing to her eyes and cascading down her face. "They all made it out alright." She sounded awed but couldn't contain her joy at the same time.

Zane moved to hug her, this should have been a happier moment. "They're fine Maxie, it's alright."

They never heard the guestroom door open but Zack stood just inside of it now. Both Zane and Max stiffened a fraction afraid of just how much of their conversation he had overheard. They broke their embrace quite quickly as well.

"It's time now Zane there's a few things I still need to brief you on." Zack spoke in the clipped tone of a C.O. now.

"What's going on Zack?" Max's tear stained face looked troubled though at least she wasn't crying anymore.

It was Zane who spoke up. "Nothing for you to worry about Maxie." He hugged her again. "Get some rest baby sister." He kissed her on the forehead and then followed Zack out of the room leaving Max to rest.


End file.
